When the time had come. Elizabeth spent five months in seclusion sometimes feeling judged, she spent 9 months of pregnancy, she spent hours breathing and pushing John into the world. Zechariah spent 10 months in silence. When the time has come to raise a child, begin school, start a career, end a relationship, retire, move, […]
Tag Archives: Hope
Earlier in chapter one, Luke tells us that Elizabeth “was righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord,” but she and Zechariah were unable to have children and were getting on in years. Each year, Zechariah went to Herod’s temple to serve as a lay priest for several […]
Luke opens the “Good News” of God’s coming Kingdom (Luke 8:1) with a little contrast: “During the rule of King Herod of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah”. There were tens of thousands of lay priests in Israel but one King. King Herod was an agent of the Roman Empire having been appointed by […]
We started English as a Second Language and after school tutoring at that church when a small group of educators wanted to connect with the town’s growing Hispanic community. There was some opposition. One dear saint suggested we check for green cards before offering ESL classes. When I asked if we would be checking everyone’s […]
Asbury Theological Seminary received a multi-million dollar donation to build a state of the art preaching center, among other directives. So in 1995, I took a preaching class inside the state of the art multi-camera studio chapel. Four camera angles was a terrifying prospect; I hope it is helping us in these days of quarantine. […]
”Why are you weeping?” is the question our Risen Lord asks Magdalene. (John 20). Dressed up in our fashionable Easter finery, it is easy to miss how Easter speaks to our grief. As we come to this unusual Easter, the Good News comes to us stripped down as it did to those earliest disciples […]
When you pass through the waters…. When you swim through the river to the last station….. When the Lord, makes a way through the sea, cutting a path through the mighty waters….. Don’t remember that- don’t ponder ancient history. Look! Right now! I Am is doing a new thing; it sprouts up; don’t you recognize […]
I grew up in a different theological zip code than Belmont, as my childhood church served up occasional samples of hell-fire, with a dose of fear, and a pinch of guilt. We never canceled Wednesday children’s choir for Halloween. Instead, we hosted alternate fall festivals, carefully never saying “Halloween.” While dating Connie some 30 years […]
A heart for hope Advent Candle Reading Number One The land was devastated. The prophet Jeremiah imprisoned. Through tears Jeremiah preached of a coming hope. The Lord will rebuild. The Lord will restore. The Lord will cleanse. The Lord will heal. The Lord is our hope. Call to the Lord! Our God will answer! […]
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