In the beginning of chapter 8 of the book of Nehemiah, Ezra read the law of Moses to all those who could listen, and the leaders of the rebuilt community helped...

Growing up in Nigeria, I recall several events such as a fishing festival, an annual harvest festival, and other celebrations that brought the whole community together. Amidst such celebrations were those...

The texts this week highlight the liminal nature of Christian faith. Our world is broken, and the temptation is always there to believe that restoration is beyond reach. The world is...

One of my favorite parts of serving in the local church was joining young children in Godly Play circles. In our circles, we talked about Epiphany as the time in the...

I have a bad habit of storing up special gifts never to use them. I have had to throw out more expired special food items than I care to admit. When...

We don’t have to get too creative to imagine the community Paul was writing to in his Corinthian letters. It was a community in distress, chaos, and conflict. These seem to...

In the Christian tradition, we lean heavily into the symbol of light throughout Epiphany. In this season we consider what is illuminated. Who do we understand the Christ child to be?...

We enter the Epiphany season riding on waves of Christmas joy. The image of an infant King bringing salvation into the world invites us to experience deep and abiding hope. Many...

These verses from Isaiah were written in the context of a postexilic Judean community that had returned to Jerusalem. Those who returned home arrived at a place marked by desolation and...

Today’s passage opens with John naming three elements associated with baptism: water, Holy Spirit, and fire. While John baptizes with water, Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. While...