When Mary washed Jesus' feet, it was a loving act of service. An act prompted by her love for him and to honor him. In the same way, we have opportunities to give of what we have to honor Jesus and to show what he means to us, to also share the love he taught us with others in our world.… Read the rest “Offering Meditation for Lent 5c – 6-Apr-25”
The parables from today's scripture talk a lot about God's care and concern for people who have wandered off, but we should also be aware of God's love for people who, regardless of the status of their relationship with God, are suffering and hurting, in need for the most basic things.… Read the rest “Offering Meditation for Lent 4C – 30-Mar-25”
What does it take for us to thrive, to bear fruit, to make a difference in this world? One thing that is part of bearing that fruit is to help others to thrive. Sometimes the needs are obvious: food, clothing, shelter, safety.… Read the rest “Offering Meditation for Lent 3C – 23-Mar-25”
Jesus compared his task to that of a mother hen. What does the mother hen do? It makes sure that none of hers are left out or forgotten. It makes sure that they are fed and have a safe place to stay.… Read the rest “Offering Meditation for Lent 2C – 16-Mar-25”
One way to look at the temptations that Jesus faced is to recognize that they are real concerns that might cause anyone to think they had to secure their lives instead of relying on God to provide real security.… Read the rest “Offering Meditation for Lent 1C – 9-Mar-25”
The story about the transfiguration is primarily one about the disciples coming to the realization of who Jesus is. They discover both that he is the One sent by God and also that the One sent by God isn't going to behave exactly as they expected.… Read the rest “Offering Meditation for Transfiguration C – 2-Mar-25”
Jesus tells us that our concern and care are not to be reserved for people who love us back. We are to love those who are our enemies. We are to love those who we've never met (and probably won't ever meet.)… Read the rest “Offering Meditation for Epiphany C7 – 23-Feb-25”
Paul quips in Romans 6:1, "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" meaning, "Should we just keep on sinning so God will have even more to forgive?" With Paul, I'll say, "God forbid."
In just the same way, although Jesus says that the poor, the hungry, the weeping, he does not mean that we should simply let those conditions continue in order that those folks will be blessed.… Read the rest “Offering Meditation for Epiphany 6C – 16-Feb-25”
Like Peter, we realize that there are a lot of times when we're just not good enough for God's standards. The good news is that God doesn't expect us to be. When we give of our time, efforts, and financial resources, it isn't to somehow do enough good that God will recognize us.… Read the rest “Offering Meditation for Epiphany C5 – 9-Feb-25”
Jesus tried to get his home congregation to see that the realm of God was far bigger than they thought. That the love, respect, and looking out for each other extended to all people everywhere. Later he said that the best place to begin was with the poor, the outcasts, and the forgotten.… Read the rest “Offering Meditation for Epiphany 4C – 2-Feb-25”