Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted. He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles. Do you ever wonder about how the followers of Jesus who werent named as one of the Twelve felt? (We know they were there because in the Acts of the Apostles followers who had been with… Read More »

In The Merchant of Venice Shylock gives a speech: “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?” Confronting the anti-semitic undertones of the play Shakespeare reminds us of our common humanity. The Bible stories, even though they are three… Read More »

When the Philistine had sized David up, and seen that he was youthful, and ruddy, and handsome in appearance, he held David in contempt.  The trope of David and Goliath is perennial. Think of Frodo vs. Sauron or Harry Potter vs. Voldemort or Dorothy vs. the Wicked Witch. The small, seemingly insignificant character is able… Read More »

Have you never read what David did? Jesus remembered King David as an example to guide his actions. David had lived 1000 years before the time of Christ. (Can you think of anyone from 1022 who serves as a model for you?) That historical memory gave the people of Jesus’ time hope that just as… Read More »

Mary has a memorable place in the gospels. She is featured in the stories associated with the birth of Jesus – the annunciation, the visitation, the Bethlehem saga, the Presentation in the Temple. She is portrayed as a worried mother of a wayward teen-age son who stayed behind after a family vacation. She shows up… Read More »

Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission than the fat of rams. Religious people use worship in order to connect with the divine. The problem comes when ritual becomes the be-all and end-all of the divine-human relationship. God, in fact, is woven into every aspect of human life if we have the eyes to see… Read More »

The Bible readings for today are both about a call. Saul is called to become the king of Israel. The LORD has anointed you commander over his heritage. Levi is called to become a disciple. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed Jesus. In both cases the call came as something… Read More »

Samuel and the “elders of Israel” had different ideas about God’s will. The elders saw the external threat of war and conquest and determined that having a king would be the best way to prevent that from happening. Samuel was concerned about the internal life of the community — having a king would disrupt the… Read More »

The Books of Samuel tell how a loose group of tribes became forged into a nation. When the Hebrews first occupied the Promised Land after the liberation from Egypt each tribe settled in their own area. They would help the neighboring tribes when a need arose. The coming of the war-like Philistines showed the limitations… Read More »

After thirteen years in the seminary I thought I should be proficient in prayer but it wasn’t happening. I even got an additonal degree in Spiritual Theology to see if that would help. My prayer never seemed to match up to all of the books I was reading about prayer. What was I doing wrong?… Read More »