Today’s text is the famous story from Luke 15, the ‘parable of the prodigal parent’.
We usually call this parable the ‘prodigal son’, but I like to focus on the father’s prodigality: extravagantly generous, he shows excessive liberality to both his children. Prodigal, indeed.
Palm Sunday: The Living Stone Read More »
Today’s text is the famous story from Luke 15, the ‘parable of the prodigal parent’.
We usually call this parable the ‘prodigal son’, but I like to focus on the father’s prodigality: extravagantly generous, he shows excessive liberality to both his children. Prodigal, indeed.
Feeding the Hand That Bites Read More »
In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus calls his disciples the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.” Surrounded by a diverse group—fisherpeople, tax collectors, the vulnerable and disenfranchised – Jesus offers a revolutionary message in a turbulent time. It challenges how they see themselves and invites them to embrace a transformative role in the world.
What does his message have to do with you and me? And how will we respond to this radical call?Â
Message From the Margins Read More »
Martin Luther King used to say, “The time is always right to do right.” I don’t know whether Dr. King had this story in mind, but he’d certainly have gone along with Jesus.Â
The Time Is Right To Do Right Read More »
This week’s Gospel text shows us some strange bedfellows. The Pharisees, who are often depicted as enemies of Jesus – or at least antagonists – show up to warn Jesus about Herod Antipas’s murderous intent towards him. But of course, there were Pharisees and there were Pharisees. Just as today there are Christians and there are Christians.
To Stand In Power Read More »
Happy Birthday!Â
On the first Sunday of March back in 1835, our congregation officially began, dedicated as the “Second Wesleyan Chapel”. A church building was soon under construction, down on Mulberry Street. Â
Barely 23 years later, the congregation moved uptown to a brand-new place on Park Ave S. & 22nd St. – a soaring ediface, clothed in marble, with a 210-foot steeple, largely the gift of church trustee Daniel Drew. It was truly a glorious building, but lasted only 40 years.Â
Transfiguring the Church Read More »
“When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything behind and followed him.” – Luke 5:11…Friends, That is maybe the most frightening phrase in the Bible. Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it like this in The Cost of Discipleship: “Costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus… It is costly because it compels a person to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow where he is going.”
Taking Them Along Read More »
“When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything behind and followed him.” – Luke 5:11…Friends, That is maybe the most frightening phrase in the Bible. Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it like this in The Cost of Discipleship: “Costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus… It is costly because it compels a person to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow where he is going.”
“When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything behind and followed him.” – Luke 5:11…Friends, That is maybe the most frightening phrase in the Bible. Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it like this in The Cost of Discipleship: “Costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus… It is costly because it compels a person to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow where he is going.”
I don’t know about you, but some days lately, I feel pretty drained. It’s hard to deal with one more piece of news. It’s a challenge to summon the energy to respond to one more problem or situation.
In the Way of Jesus Read More »