The first half of this story will be familiar to most readers. Young Samuel is called by God in the middle of the night. But because Samuel does not yet know...

In Psalm 139 the author marvels at all the things God knows. God knows our every step, thought, and word. God knows the heights of heaven and the depths of hell....

Early in my life my parents and teachers taught me a valuable lesson: If your words are not kind, do not speak. I have not always followed this advice, but when...

Pastors are often asked to tell their call stories, but I often struggle to tell mine. The story could begin at my baptism when my parents and godparents pledged to teach...

Questions about baptism should abound this week. Why must Jesus be baptized if he is without sin? What is the larger message presented in his baptismal event? What does the baptism...

Mark is the first Gospel written, likely circa the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. It is the shortest of the synoptic Gospels, sharing narratives with Matthew and Luke—and it...

In today’s passage, Paul is teaching in Ephesus, where he asks his students their understanding of what has happened at their baptisms and if they have yet received the Holy Spirit....

Many coastal cities in the U.S. approach hurricane season with heavy hearts. The winds and water have broken them once or many times before—crushing homes and lives, washing away memories. This...

In modern English, we use the word epiphany to connote a sudden revelation. This week, light has arrived in both the texts and liturgical seasons, illuminating that which was previously “dark”...

The psalmist describes an enormous storm with God as the source of the storm. This text resonates with the ancient Canaanite narrative of Baal, the God of Thunder, who tames chaos....