“I hope we have a nice vacation!”  Please make up your bed before you go to school.”  “I love you.”  We all know how important words are.  Among other things, they can express our hopes, give direction and relay our feelings.  But they don’t have any power by themselves.  Hoping for a nice vacation won’t guarantee it, nor will our directions to our child to make their bed.  But, when God speaks, his very word is effective.  “Let there be light,” he commands, and there was light.  “Stretch out your […]

For most of his public life, it seems that Jesus tried to hide his true identity.  While others acclaimed him as the Messiah or the Son of God, he referred to himself as the Son of Man; we heard him use that title to describe himself twice in today’s gospel.  When others tried to worship him or spread the news of his miracles, he told them to keep silent. He didn’t want their praise or publicity. Not yet. His time had not yet come and they did not understand his […]

Last week, we heard the very well-known parable of the prodigal son where we heard, once again, of God’s abundant mercy and forgiveness.  Today, we hear the equally well-known account of Jesus’ encounter with the scribes and Pharisees and a woman caught in the act of adultery.  Once again, we hear of God’s mercy.  This unnamed woman has become famous because Jesus saved her from a crowd that was out to get him.  This woman was just like the bait on a fisherman’s hook; Jesus was the fish they were […]

This is one great parable, isn’t it!?!  Especially in this Lenten season, we can all relate to the prodigal son, wasteful and extravagant in our use of all that God has given us to fulfill our own desires rather than for the building up of God’s kingdom.  But, sinful though we are, if we convert our lives, God, in his love and care for us – will always demonstrate his love, always forgive us and welcome us back

We know this parable under the title of the prodigal son because he […]

I hope you’re all enjoying the first taste of spring; yesterday was such a beautiful day that helped to distract us from the devastating war in Ukraine that continues to capture our attention as the people caught in the crosshairs call for our prayers and support.  Unfortunately, this is only the latest of calamities that we have encountered over the past few years, isn’t it?  The coronavirus has claimed over 6 million lives worldwide, and epic floods, relentless forest fires, tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes here and around the world fill […]