When the crowd calls Bartimaeus to Jesus, the beggar throws off his cloak and leaps up. He leaves behind what is probably his only possession, his means of protection and livelihood—the...

Some years ago, an unexpected snowstorm left my region of the country without power for almost a week. It was cold, difficult to sleep, impossible to cook. One of the hardest...

The writer of Hebrews speaks of a long line of priests endlessly presiding over sacrifices in carefully prescribed ancient rituals meant first to cleanse the priests who prepared and offered the...

A few weeks ago, many of us gathered to celebrate World Communion Sunday, in large cathedrals and small country congregations, in storefront missions and suburban churches, in ornate Gothic chapels and...

Psalm 34 is an acrostic. With a few exceptions, each verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in order from beginning to end. Why did the psalmist shape the...

Job’s story ends happily. God restores his fortunes twofold, and he is blessed with ten more children: seven sons and three daughters. Job is transformed, a transformation far deeper than the...

I heard a story about twin girls, toddlers, blind since birth. As toddlers do, they liked to test their limits. One day as they were headed toward trouble, their mother told them...

James and John get a lot of flak from the other ten. Are the ten jealous of the brothers’ boldness—their ability to ask the question? Do the other disciples think them...

Sometimes we need to speak up to get where we want to go. James and John do just that. They say point-blank to Jesus words to this effect, “Do something for...

Then there’s Jesus Christ, who meets us where we are and deals gently with us. Today, tomorrow, forever. Being a high priest for all and forever is no joking matter. It’s...