Jesus promises the new creation that begins at Pentecost. We humans usually desire the fulfillment of promises sooner rather than later. Promises are all well and good, but what about today?...

God’s new creation does not begin in some random, unfocused manner. The new creation shows God’s promise and purpose. God promises that all people will be blessed through the descendants of...

God’s grace, freely poured out on us and all creation, births us into new creations. No longer are we slaves to fears and fads, nor do we form circles of exclusion....

Jesus prays in the upper room where he and the disciples gather to share the Passover meal. The disciples have the privilege of overhearing this prayer. All who have read or...

Before beginning his ministry, Jesus spends forty days in the wilderness in preparation. After his resurrection, Jesus spends forty days preparing his disciples for their ministry. He takes them through a...

Tomorrow’s passage from Luke 24 is the last of Luke’s Gospel; the reading today is the last in the book of Revelation. Both passages focus on ending and beginning. The Common...

Some people refer to this passage written to the Christians in Ephesus as “Paul’s Prayer.” Paul writes to commend the congregational members’ faith and love toward all the saints, a love...

In this story, the term slave applies to various people. The girl is a slave to her owner and the demon possessing her. She calls Paul and Silas “slaves of the...

After the resurrection, Jesus leads the disciples through Witness 101—a fast-track course in how they will become his earthly successors, inviting others to join God’s realm. The twelve appear clueless. They...

Both of these psalms, placed in a category called “enthronement psalms,” describe a pattern of worship that recognizes and honors God as the Lord, the Most High, the ruler of the...