Reflection

I’ve read the Psalms more than any other book in the Bible (at least, more consistently). I love the Psalms. And I’ve been enjoying reading the Psalms in the newest translation, the Common English Bible. This morning, I read Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible at 176 verses. The psalm was written in … Read more

Whenever I read through Isaiah, I always find his trash talk about idols somewhat humorous. Here’s a sampling of Isaiah’s attitude about idols … So to whom will you equate God; to what likeness will you compare him? An idol? A craftsman pours it, a metalworker covers it with gold, and fashions silver chains. The … Read more

During the Advent season, one of the things that struck me this year was that the baby Jesus, who was revealed to shepherds, came to be a shepherd, himself. Once when Jesus “saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6.34, CEB). Interestingly, this phrase … Read more

This Advent season, I’ve been struck by the line in Luke’s gospel … (Mary) gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom. (Luke 2.7, CEB) Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable, placed the newborn … Read more

After Mary’s encounter with the messenger Gabriel, she travelled to be with her relative Elizabeth. When Mary greeted Elizabeth, Luke notes that “the child leaped in (Elizabeth’s) womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1.41, CEB). Then Elizabeth said … God has blessed you above all women, and he has blessed the … Read more

One of the real keys of discipleship is learning to say yes to God. Saying yes to God will inevitably, at times, means saying no to ourselves and other things. Jesus put it this way … All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. … Read more

This post is part of the Common English Bible Tour. The prophet Isaiah proclaimed … A voice is crying out: “Clear the LORD’s way in the desert! Make a level highway in the wilderness for our God! Every valley will be raised up, and every mountain and hill will be flattened. Uneven ground will become … Read more

This post is part of the current Common English Bible Tour. You can read Isaiah 40.1-11 in the CEB here. In Isaiah 40.1-11, Israel is in exile, a very dark place in their history. They doubted their status as God’s chosen people; they even doubted the sovereignty of God. This portion of scripture seeks to … Read more