Here is the story of Mary, mother of Jesus, and Mary’s relative, Elizabeth, mother of John whom we know as John the Baptist. Mary and Elizabeth were related. They could have been cousins or, given the age difference, Elizabeth could have been Mary’s aunt. This passage tells of miracles and surprised and reversals. There was…
I want to give you an introduction to the several people mentioned in this scripture passage. The lesson begins with the words: “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius…” The Roman Empire had gone through the death of Augustus Caesar. Emperor Tiberius Caesar was the successor of Augustus Caesar. We know him…
We begin the church year by looking ahead to the end, to how in God’s time the world as we know it will be transformed. Jesus said these words near the end of his earthly ministry. He knew how easy it is to be distracted by the trials and tribulations of our life and times. …
For many years, I taught a Monday class here at South entitled, “A Month with a Mystic.” When I finally transcribed a year’s worth of seminars in book form, my editor at Upper Room told me she had a different title in mind, “The Mystic In You” and she was right. There is a mystic, a god-filled…
Genesis 12:1-9 The Bible is about people like us. The Biblical story neither covers up nor white washes human imperfection. The giants of faith struggled with doubts and fears, anxieties and anger, uncertainty and agency, the were burdened by the past and hopeful and anxious about the future, and yet through it all trusted God. I…
As many of you know, I am a student of Celtic spirituality. I have walked the paths of Scotland’s Isle of Mull and Iona, Findhorn near Inverness, or even looked for the beastie at Loch Ness. I have meditated at Stonehenge and climbed the Tor or Glastonbury, otherwise known as the Isle of Avalon. The Celts and Gaels believed…
John 15:1-8 I Corinthians 12:4-13, 26-27 Over the past few years, Pastor Pam and I have used the term ubuntu to describe the nature of Christian community. “I am because of you. You are because of me. We are because of one another.” The Southern Africans that coined and popularized the word “ubuntu,” including Archbishop Desmond Tutu knew that…
Every time we gather for our morning prayer service, we listen to Psalm 23 as our scriptural anchor. Reading the Psalm seemed appropriate when we began morning prayer on Zoom as the pandemic was rising. All of us felt anxiety, uncertainty, worry about our wellbeing, as well as our friends’ and family’s wellbeing, and our congregations’ and nation’s…
Psalm 19 Today, we reflect on our place in the universe, and God’s call to us on this little blue green planet in the vastness of the cosmos. Psalm 19 connects the heavens above with the moral law within. The heavens are telling the glory of God, the Psalmist proclaims. Each day brings new revelations. Each day…
Lent 1 – Feb 21 Genesis 9:8-17 Mark 1:9-15 Today’s readings involve awakening to signs of God’s presence in our lives. Do you ever have God moments, synchronous encounters, and insights that seem to come out of nowhere? From time to time, I do – the first time I saw the bumper sticker in front of Craigville…