“Every scribe who becomes a disciple of the Kingdom of Heaven is like a householder who brings out of the storeroom things both new and old.” Mt. 13:52 If I ran downstairs right now to check my “storeroom” aka the pantry, I’m pretty sure I’d find a fresh box or two of pasta, some crackers […]
religion
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Revisiting reverence
Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place – and I did not know it.” – Genesis 28:16 The fall of 2001, I found myself driving alone from St. Louis to Chicago to be with my mother who was to undergo lung surgery. I was feeling a mixture […]
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Deliver us from evil …
One of the most sobering requests cited by Jesus in what has been called the “Lord’s Prayer,” is a sobering request of God, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” In no uncertain terms, Jesus instructs those who were following him to include in their prayer requests to God, “Lead us not […]
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The mail carrier, the grocery clerk and the barista
No, the next line isn’t “walk into a bar!” although creating such a joke might be an interesting challenge. What, then, is the relationship between these three? They each represent the kinds of relationships sociologists call “weak ties.” That is, the kind of casual relationships that don’t generally lead to strong emotional bonds, although they […]
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Compassion
The prophet Hosea describes God as one who “bends down … to feed, to lift up and to hold.” Strength and flexibility are both necessary in the act of bending. How grateful we are to have a God who is willing to bend on our behalf and who invites us to bend on behalf of […]
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The Manifest Destiny of America
These past few weeks our nation has observed and celebrated its 250th anniversary! Numerous expressions of celebration have been held. Numerous events have been held. People celebrated various aspects of this nation’s history. Interestingly, certain of our current nation’s leaders have, and still are, advocating for the elimination of certain factual components of America’s history. […]
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A summer of hope and action
This summer, as tensions rise along with the temperature and the persistent deep divisions in our country give rise to a sense of hopelessness in some quarters, there are those bringing renewed hope and purpose across this land. Young Baha’is, along with their friends from numerous faith traditions, backgrounds and ethnicities, are spending their school […]
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Restoration – not just reparations
The Gospel of Luke relates an incident where a tax collector encountered Jesus and vowed to “restore” up to fourfold and unjust “taxes” that he may have taken from anyone. That proposal would require (1) the offended person to confirm the “unjust tax,” and (2) that person being “restored” four times that amount. In 1450, […]
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Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah
The Memorial Day weekend is a time when we remember and honor the dedication and sacrifice of those who gave their lives in the service of our country. Coincidentally, this past weekend observant Christians and Jews both marked special occasions on their respective religious calendars. Jews, this past Friday and Saturday, observed the festival of […]
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Composing a life
The first Mother’s Day sermon I preached following the birth of our son Paul was a momentous occasion for me. I remember sharing that as a woman pastor I sometimes used the metaphor of “giving birth” for writing or composing a sermon. After the experience of labor, I wanted to set the record straight. There […]
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The truth about a lie
I greet you in the morning as your thoughts begin to form. I nestle in your feelings – subtle – as if I am the norm. You may not sense my presence, as morn to night goes by – I have that subtle power – after all, I’m just a lie. I fill your mind […]
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The Baha’i festival of Ridvan
The Baha’i Festival of Ridvan (pronounced Rez-vahn) is the holiest season of the Baha’i year. Beginning at sunset on April 20 and ending at sunset May 2, this 12-day period commemorates the time in 1863, when Baha’u’llah sojourned along with family and followers in the Najibiyyih Garden, situated on an island in the Tigris River. […]
