In these two short verses, the prophet Zephaniah accomplishes a major task: He moves from disaster to celebration. Many of the Hebrew prophetic books close with a message of hope and...

Begin today’s meditation time by rereading Isaiah 12:2-6. This passage contains a multitude of words and phrases we can take to heart. Choose the one that is most meaningful for you...

John the Baptist’s harsh words remind us of God’s judgment while opening the door for a teaching moment. John gives three pieces of advice when asked, “What then should we do?”...

Zephaniah 1:1 dates this prophetic book during the reign of King Josiah of Judah, from 640 to 609 bce. King Josiah brought about important religious reforms in Judah. (You can read...

Today’s scripture was spoken by the prophet Isaiah to the people of Judah, who were living in the shadow of the powerful Assyrian Empire at the time. Isaiah prophesied to Judah...

We return to Malachi to bookend this week, but I invite you to read a bit more. Malachi 3:5 follows today’s reading with these words: “I will be swift to bear...

Finally, we get to John—John who was predicted in Malachi, John who was just born in Luke 1, finally arrives in Luke 3. This is the guy! This is who we’ve...

In The Phantom Menace (1999) Yoda says this: “Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.” Yoda sees fear as the gateway that leads to other bad...

Thank you so much” is the best way to start a letter or e-mail. Whether you are thanking the recipient for a gift, for their attention to your relationship, or for...

I  love volleyball. After the serve, each team has three touches to get the ball over the net to the opponent’s turf. At the competitive levels, the three touches have the...