Joseph must have gone to bed that night with a lot on his mind. His betrothed, Mary, is pregnant. He knows he has not contributed to this pregnancy. Out of goodness,...

In the opening sentence of Paul’s greeting, he identifies himself as a servant of Christ. Few of us would likely identify ourselves as servants, given any other options. A disciple? Yes....

The community of Psalm 80 laments its losses while expressing its hope in the restorative power of God. This Advent, a small lectio divina community here in Raleigh, North Carolina, has...

The Lord has a lot to say. God first speaks to Isaiah, and now God speaks to Ahaz, an ungodly king of Judah who seems bent on forming alliances that undermine...

In my church’s Sunday worship, following the Confession of Sin and the Assurance of Pardon, a leader invites the congregation to share signs of grace and peace: “As forgiven and reconciled...

The prophet Isaiah speaks to a situation of impending destruction of Judah in a time when the Northern Kingdom has been annexed by Assyria. King Ahaz of Judah struggles with alliances...

The psalmist knows the goodness of God in the world. God has led the people and cared for them as a shepherd cares for the sheep. But the people have fallen...

Mary seems thrilled with the announcement that she will give birth to Israel’s long-awaited messiah. Listening to her, you would have to conclude that she couldn’t be happier. I can’t help...

According to Jesus, John the Baptist has a lot going for him. Jesus labels John the greatest of the prophets. Crowds of people hikes out into the desert near the Dead...

Many years ago, I heard this passage from Luke’s Gospel read from the pulpit of the African-American church where I have been a member for more than sixty years. It was...