Today is the 13th day of Lent. The scripture for today is Luke 9:51-56, that time when the disciples asked Jesus to incinerate a village.
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Lent Reflection – Are my expectations keeping me from hearing Jesus?
This is the 12th day of Lent. The scripture for today is Matthew 17:1-9, the stunning event we call the Transfiguration.
Lent Reflection – Am I offended by generosity?
Today is the 11th day of Lent. Today’s scripture is Matthew 20:1-16, the parable of the vineyard owner who hired workers throughout the day but paid them all the same. Wha’s up with that?
Lent Reflection – Am I too busy with God-talk?
Welcome to the 10th day of Lent. Matthew 19:13-15 is the passage for today, the scene of Jesus, the children, and the trap of God-talk.
Lent Reflection – Am I escalating retribution or forgiveness?
Today is the 9th day of Lent. Today’s scripture is Matthew 18:21-35, a teaching and parable about forgiveness. Sounds great, but it’s not as simple as it sounds.
Lent Reflection – Am I despising the Little Ones?
Today is the 8th day of Lent, and this continues my series of lent reflections. Matthew 18:10-14 is the scripture today. This is Matthew’s telling of the parable of the lost sheep.
Lent Reflection – Am I showing up to every argument I’m invited to?
Today is the 7th day of Lent. Today’s scripture is Matthew 17:24-27, a conversation about taxes that turns into a teaching moment and a bizarre miracle.
Lent Reflection – Am I trying to buy God with faith currency?
Here’s my 6th installment of Lenten reflections. Matthew 17:14-21 is the scripture today. This is a passage about prayer and faith, and it is, quite honestly, a strange and frustrating passage for me.
Lent Reflection – Am I choosing power over love?
Good morning! It’s the 5th day of Lent. Today’s scripture is Matthew 4:1-11, the story of Jesus’ temptations, a crucial reflection for those of us who follow Jesus’ way.
What Christians could learn about power from Jesus’ temptations.
In the wilderness, Jesus faced three temptations and triumphed. In Brothers Karamazov, through the Grand Inquisitor, Dostoevsky claimed the Church has faced these same temptations and soundly failed. Historically, many commentators have seen the temptations as individual sins, such as gluttony or greed. Dostoevsky perceives something different: All three temptations are about power. Jesus refused […]
Lent Reflection – Am I trying to manage how others see me?
Today is the 4th day of Lent, and I’m continuing my series of Lenten reflections. Today’s reading is Today’s scripture is Mark 10:46-52, the story of Bartimaeus, a blind man, and his interaction with Jesus.
Lent Reflection – Am I striving for power?
Today is the 3rd day of Lent. Today continues my series of reflections for Lent. Today is the 3rd day of Lent. I’m continuing my series of reflections with Mark 10:32-45. In this scene we see the difference that often exists between our expectations and God’s when it comes to the tools we use to […]
Lent Reflection – Are my things in my way?
Today continues my series of reflections for Lent. Today is the 2nd day of Lent, and the scripture I’m reading and reflecting on is Mark 10:17-31, the scene where Jesus interacts with a man we’ve come to call the ”Rich Young Ruler.”
Lent Reflection – Is my mind set on human things?
(This series is an edited and updated version of reflections I wrote during Lent of 2021. Because I’m in graduate school I don’t have time to write brand new material for 40 days straight, but I am using these for my own Lent devotion, updating them as seems right for my journey currently and the […]
Don’t Choose Shallow Formation (TAW047)
Episode 047 – Don’t Choose Shallow Formation (With Rich Vellodas) Does our faith enable us to be “a good gift” to our neighbors, even the neighbors we disagree with? Many Christians, it seems, are living in ways that contradict the core ethic of our faith loving our neighbors as ourselves. What is going on? It […]