My father, as he lay in his bed, slowly dying of cancer, said sadly to me “I thought I was going to live forever.” He had been converted at an evangelical event as a youth, and had spent his life being the best Christian he knew how to be. Now,…

Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week, a week rich in meaning and purpose. From the moment of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem to the moment he gave up his life on the cross, we are given a multitude of examples that we can apply to our own daily…

Most of us who have lived more than a few years have experienced death in one form or another.  Maybe we’ve lost a loved one.  Perhaps we’ve lost a job.  All losses, when deeply felt, result in suffering.  We often become like Martha and Mary and their friends, who wailed at the…

Vision, eyesight—something most of us take for granted. But there are several different kinds of sight although they all really do involve “seeing.” For some kinds of “sight,” though “understanding” may be a better choice of word. In today’s gospel physical eyesight was what the blind man asked for. Sometimes…

After our recent big snowfall, I was walking the narrow path to the house, when I slipped off the packed trail, lost my balance and fell into in the deep stuff. Struggling to regain my footing, I looked up to see my husband holding out a supporting hand to me….

One morning last week I woke up very early.  We had left the windows in our camper open during the night because it was quite warm in Winter Haven, Florida where we are vacationing.  As I looked out the window, I noticed that the sky was a beautiful rose color…

Nearly everyone, whether they’ve actually been to a desert or not, can relate to today’s gospel story of Jesus’ temptations.  We’ve all been in “the desert,“ and experienced our own sort of “desert trials” when hard times come, either through life’s personal losses, family conflicts, or other events where we feel alone,…

Today’s Gospel reading concludes Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Jesus began His preaching “Repent, the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!” In the weeks since we heard that message, we have listened to Jesus tell us what is expected of His disciples—those who wish to become members of His Kingdom….

When I was preparing for marriage, I was frightened by the enormity of my decision. Plagued with “what ifs” and fear of failure, I nearly backed out of the engagement. But then I looked back on my past and realized I had never been homeless or starving, and I saw…

There’s a song I love simply called “The Summons” written by John Bell.  The second verse of this song is my favorite and the most challenging; it goes like this: “Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?  Will you care for cruel and kind and never…