Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “Year B”
They “begged” Jesus to heal the man (Mark 7:31-37). Scripture says he was “a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech” (Mark 7:32). Jesus told the man’s ears and mouth to “Be Opened.” In Mark’s characteristic style, we are told that Jesus took action “and immediately the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke …
Another title for this blog post could easily have been “Rules & Fools Like Me.” I’m a rule-follower. When I cook, I like to start with a recipe. When I buy something, I like to know the return policy. When I sign a contract, I focus on two things—what I’m expected to do and the cancellation terms. Come to think …
How do we respond when Jesus says something crazy? If you’ve read thru the Gospels, or even just a Gospel or two, you’ve probably noticed that Jesus says some crazy things. He says we should turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:38) and we should be born “again” (John 3:3). Jesus tells us to “give to EVERYONE who begs from [us]” …
There is a well-known (and yet completely unknown) group of people with a lot of wisdom. They. They say honesty is the best policy and I think They are right. Sometimes, however, we use honesty as an excuse or a cover for—dare I say it so bluntly—rudeness. We turn honesty into a weapon against others when really we should use …
Sometimes, looking in the mirror brings us face to face with things we’d rather not see. The mirror shows us our flaws up close and personal. Looking in a spiritual mirror can do the same thing. In Psalm 51, the Psalmist has looked in the spiritual mirror and come face to face with the ugliness that lies within: “I know …
At least once every summer, we throw a party for the church youth group. They come to our house and play games, swim in the pool, and eat pizza. Although it might sound like insanity to some people, we love having a house full of teenagers! We’ve done this for a few years now and we’ve learned there are three …
Dr. Ellen Charry, a professor I once had, explained the incarnation this way: “The story of God in Jesus is not the coming of God to us … rather, in Jesus, God comes as us, so precious are we to God.” Prior to Jesus, God came to humanity through Israel (through Abraham, Jacob, Moses, the prophets, and others). For that …
When I was a kid, every scrape, cut, bruise, and bee sting got the same treatment. My mom used something called “black ointment.” I don’t know if you’ve ever used it, but … it’s pretty gross. It’s like Neosporin, but instead of being clean and clear looking, it looks like it’s been scraped off the bottom of a stagnant pond. …