Saul is on the move and his mission is clear. He is not confused. He is not conflicted. He is not “wrestling with nuance.”   Saul is certain. Certain that he is defending the God of his people. Certain that there is a threat that must be contained. Certain that coercion, backed by law and authority, is righteousness and that a ‘warrant’ is justification. He is breathing threats. The Greek suggests something visceral—like violence is the air in his lungs. Violence to accomp

We’ve all heard Psalm 23 many times over the course of our lives. We’ve seen it stitched into needlepoint, heard it read at funerals, and even encountered it woven into popular music and culture. As one writer puts it, Psalm 23 has become something of a “secular icon.” It belongs not only to the religious but to the human imagination. And that raises a question: why this psalm? Why does this ancient image of God as a shepherd continue to comfort people in a post‑modern world?

In the beginning, the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Throughout the scriptures, the Lord is described as the Shepherd who provides for and protects His sheep. Sometimes “His sheep” refers to the people of Israel, and at other times we see ourselves as “His sheep.” In Isaiah 40:11, the Lord tends to His flock - the children of Israel. He gathers His lambs in his arms and draws them close to his heart. In John 10, Jesus speaks of Himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep, declaring: “I know My sheep, and M

There's a kind of anger that doesn't announce itself. It doesn't raise its voice or slam doors. It shows up quietly — in the way you answer someone's question with a little less warmth than usual, in the way you "forget" to return a call, in the way you smile while saying something that was never quite meant as a kindness. That's the anger this passage has been speaking to me about lately. Not the big, dramatic kind — the kind we can easily name — but the anger that lives in

At the beginning of Lent, in search of something to fast from, I asked myself the question, “What’s something that is no longer serving me?” It was a softer way of urging me to take a harsh look at my patterns and what I was filling my time and space with. Rather than try to shame myself out of certain behaviors or reliances, I wanted to use this season to take a deeper look into the places in my life where I was digging out my own cistern rather than drinking from the Living

Today, our scripture calls the worshiping community to celebration and then offers a pause as a reminder from God (a voice not expected and in other Biblical translations, not known) pulls the community to remember the mighty acts of God’s salvation: answering their cries, rescuing them from bondage, and leading them safely through the wilderness. Listening to this voice redirects their worship from a regular liturgical celebration to a response to God’s gracious acts toward

I’ve grown to see Lent as an awakening. Not the gentle stirring kind, but the kind that calls you out of sleep. It is a season when we allow God to shake us out of numbness. It’s an invitation to be honest about injustice, suffering, and the places where fear and control shape us more than love does. Lent is an invitation to listen again to God’s beckoning voice. Psalm 81 is an invitation to awakening. It begins in joyful song, but then the tone shifts.

It’s interesting to imagine Jesus sitting by the well that day, thirsty and without a bucket to draw water. He may have been waiting for a kind stranger to come along, confronting the very real feeling of thirst. When you’re parched, it’s hard to think straight; your mouth feels dry, making it difficult to speak. This aspect of the story is significant: Jesus was thirsty. While we often contemplate Jesus’s divinity—being God incarnate—it's important to remember that he had a

Are you tired? I’m tired. I come to this reflection - and this Lenten season - feeling much like Bilbo Baggins in The Fellowship of the Ring. “I feel thin, sort of stretched… Like butter spread over too much bread.” I’m not feeling stretched because of some fantastical ring, but because of the product of my own choices - what I say ‘yes’ to and what I say ‘no’ to. I say ‘yes’ to too many things, and then I live with the consequences later. It is so easy to get caught up in th

Ephesians 2:14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. Paul begins today’s passage with the imperative “Don’t forget,” or, put another way, remember where you used to be and who you are now. In this time of polarized thinking, we all find ourselves on one side or another of various issues. Jesus tore down these walls thru his death, burial

In a time when our country feels like a house divided against itself, Colossians 1:15–23 offers a grounding truth that cuts through the noise of the news cycle. We are currently surrounded by "thrones, powers, rulers, and authorities"—forces that Paul specifically mentions in verse 16. In our modern context, these are the political machines, the polarized media, and the ideologies that demand we choose a side and treat the "other" as an enemy.

A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you, and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.... It was 2 a.m. as I sat in silence with a distraught friend when she suddenly whispered, “I don’t want God to give me a heart of flesh; my heart of stone keeps me safe.” She had been abused and abandoned in unthinkable ways by those who were supposed to keep her safe. Her heart of stone protected her.

Look at the list of Isaiah’s vision: no more weeping, anguish, no more premature death of babies, elders will live a long life, home ownership, planting of food that you can grow and eat, work satisfaction, blessed children and grandchildren, and God hearing and answering prayers. These are probably things we have not taken the time to reflect on, but now, during this Lenten season, you have the opportunity to reflect.  Now that you have seen Isaiah’s list, what will you add

Life is not always easy. Seasons of discontent come. It is the season I have found myself in. I’m not sure how I got here, but it’s here.

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.

For many of us, Lent is a season of inward focus and reflection, taking inventory of our souls, our discipleship, and our lives. In a perfect world, setting aside one of our usual daily pleasures would help us be less distracted and better focus on how we are really doing at our core. This is a valuable process that creates opportunities for healing and transformation.  But looking inward can also make us a little too self-absorbed. Psalm 121 offers a helpful perspective on o

“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.” Romans 3:22 Praise the Lord that we can say ‘Yes and Amen’ to this beautiful truth! This Bible verse helps unlock the entire Gospel and the saving grace of Easter. This is why we observe Lent, why we believe in Jesus Christ as the Sacrificial Lamb, and how we can be made right with our Creator. God made a way for all people to come to Him, to fi

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

The story of Cain and Abel is one I have heard my whole life, and as a mother, it stands out in the raising of two children. As a child, I surely did not read or fully understand the words that are written in the Bible or the full weight of the sin that Cain committed- killing his own brother and then lying to God. As a mother, now when I read verse 10, “And he said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.” I can feel the anguish