"Are any among you suffering?” Suffering manifests in many different ways: illness, depression, loss of work or home, strain in relationships, political and social oppression, the terrible despair that can gnaw...

This past spring my husband and I decided to put a sign in our front yard. It is a sign of welcome to our neighbors, written in English, Spanish, and Arabic....

Whose side are you on?” My sister would ask me this when we got crossways with our brothers. While my sister and I were trying to do homework or get ready...

I have received spiritual direction for over thirty years. Each of my spiritual director’s guidance has had the same emphasis: God is with us always and in all circumstances. Though I...

The book of Esther brims with dangerous intrigue. Haman, a courtier consumed by greed, schemes to annihilate the Jewish people who live within the vast Persian realm. He persuades King Ahasuerus...

When I was seventeen years old, I attended a Methodist church where the pastor always encouraged and empowered others. One day I decided to ask him who his favorite student was,...

Why are the disciples afraid to ask? Is it because they cannot conceive that Jesus can suffer death after the notoriety of his ministry and miracles? It seems that their fear...

Obedience to God begins the fulfilling of God’s will in our lives. When James writes about submitting to God, he is simply saying: Obey God. Some of us wrestle with the...

“Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you?” External conflict often reflects our internal struggles....

James writes to Christians experiencing conflict. In order to help them, James confronts them with this question: “Who is wise and understanding among you?” In other words, how do you know...