So I usually try to have my reflection out on Wednesdays. In fact, I try to make it a spiritual discipline. I like structure and having a plan. I keeps me focused and organized, but sometimes the plan falls apart, and no matter how hard I work, I can't do everything in a single day. … Continue reading The Lilies →

"As Jesus taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets!" This is how our Gospel reading this week opens. In some of the unfortunate … Continue reading Hearing Jesus speak to us →

This coming Sunday, many churches will celebrate All Saints' Day, the only celebration in the Church's calendar that can automatically be celebrated on its appointed day and the following Sunday, so our regularly scheduled readings will be preempted by a different set of readings. However, in the wake of the Etz Hayim Synagogue shooting, we … Continue reading The Lord our God, the Lord is One →

"It is a tree of life for those who grasp it, and all who uphold it are blessed. Its ways are pleasantness, and all its paths are peace. Help us to turn to You, and we shall return. Renew our lives as in days of old." -Siddur Sim Shalom, pg 427 These are the words … Continue reading The Tree of Life →

For many good and sundry reasons, Christianity as a group as been focused on sin and forgiveness as our primary metaphor God's work in our lives. We have sinned and God bridges the gap in our relationship by forgiveness through Jesus. Details about how this is accomplished change depending on time, location, and denomination, but … Continue reading Metaphors →

I have a confession: I kind of like Twitter. Despite the dumpster fire that rages is several corners of Twitter there are also some really good parts. One of my favorites is local news. I follow several local news outlets, and when I lived in Massachusetts and South Carolina, it always made me feel a … Continue reading Love One Another →

John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. … Continue reading Be for each other →

He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and … Continue reading The Refugee Crisis →