The once ubiquitous “All Are Welcome” sign has become disdained in many church circles. It is not that churches do not wish to welcome all people. The tension is between the...

Some stories are so familiar that it is easy to miss the details right in front of us. Cultural studies of the Prodigal Son narrative from Luke 15 have shown that...

Surely the “disgrace of Egypt” belongs to Egypt. The shame of having enslaved other persons and having them escape, the embarrassment to Egypt’s gods—this should be ascribed to the Pharaoh and...

Wow! God being angry? I often struggle when contemplating a loving Creator who is capable of such an emotion. Anger is incredibly powerful and tempting to hold on to. But many...

The theology of place is shown in Jesus’ leaving his hometown of Nazareth in Galilee and journeying through Samaria down into the region where John is baptizing followers. Jesus hears a...

Imagine coming up from your baptism and being driven by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be alone in silence for forty days to be tested by God. What? Must...

Suffering as a punishment for our wrongdoing is bad enough, but at least it is understandable. However, the scripture tells us that we are assured of the blessings and favor of...

For many people, Lent is a time of fasting in which we are encouraged to focus on eating and drinking. More specifically, we are asked to examine our relationship with water...

In this passage the writer petitions for restoration and guidance from God. It is a cry to God for understanding, compassion, tolerance, and supervision. The writer seeks liberation from shame and...

Who would actually go shopping with no resources and no money? Who would risk the embarrassment, disdain, and humiliation associated with being found lacking? Yet this passage asks us to be...