In frustration, we may ask, “What do you want me to do?” We long for clarity and direction, even though we may not like the answers we receive and think we...

The longest prophetic book in the Hebrew scriptures begins with complaints about the rebellious people of Judah in the Southern Kingdom with its capital of Jerusalem. The readings this week address...

Our ten-month-old grandson is our joy and delight. During one of his visits to our house, I was busy in the kitchen when I noticed he had gotten uncommonly quiet in...

In 2010, while reporting on the work of mission workers around the world for the Mennonite Mission Network, I came to know Isabella. Isabella recently had moved to Paris to attend...

Pete had been a scary man. He trusted no one, and people avoided his gruff nature and angry face. No one knew Pete’s story; his deep anger stemmed from years of...

I feel fortunate to come from a family of storytellers, men and women who keep our family’s history alive by recounting to younger generations the tales of days gone by. Each...

“May the memory of them be a blessing,” is a common honorific for the deceased among Jewish people. It’s based on Proverbs 10:7, “The memory of the righteous is a blessing.”...

Hosea preaches to Israel and Ephraim in the Northern Kingdom during the same time frame as Isaiah prophesies in Jerusalem in the Southern Kingdom. Hosea and Isaiah’s preaching leads us to...

The West African country of Senegal has a tradition called “storying” where storytellers relate important tales of national or personal history through words, actions, and singing. Senegalese Christian women meet together...

Prayer changes things. We respond as the disciples, “Lord, teach us to pray,” but we continue to doubt whether God hears or cares about our prayers. After giving the disciples a...