Power and Authority Philippians 2:1-13 November 10, 2019 Let’s begin with some good news: You are loved and cherished! That should be no surprise because, after all, God created you. READ Psalm 139 For You formed my inward parts; You … Continue reading
The Heresy of Scripture Luke 19:1-10 November 3, 2019 Today’s account of Zacchaeus is told in the form of a miracle story, as indeed it is. Let’s begin by imagining Jericho as an oasis of palms and fragrant balsam groves. … Continue reading
A Pharisee and a Tax Collector Reflections on Luke 18:9-14 by Michael Barrett It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. I have come not to call the righteous but sinners to repent Luke 5:32 Jesus … Continue reading
A Parable with a Punch 10-20-19 Luke 18:1-8 A landlord recently relented on his eviction of a 70-year-old widow, a longtime resident of Little Tokyo near downtown Los Angeles. Rents in the area are skyrocketing: one nearby two-bedroom apartment has … Continue reading
Danke, Grazie, Tak October 13, 2019 Luke 17:11-19 In the 1993 film The Remains of the Day, Anthony Hopkins plays a butler to a super-rich family. While researching this role, Mr. Hopkins interviewed a real-life butler. This butler told Hopkins … Continue reading
It Doesn’t Take All That Much Faith to Be Faithful 10-6-19 Luke 17:5-10 Reading through the Gospel of Luke, I’d read the parables of the lost sheep and coin, then the parable of the shrewd manager. Familiar stuff. Good lessons … Continue reading
Praise God, and Do It Now! Psalm 146 9-29-19 Earlier this week I met with a young couple who will be getting married next month. Their marriage will reprioritize everything about their lives as they shift from just doing their … Continue reading
Bad Things, Good People September 21, 2019 Luke 13:1-5 The other day I ran into a friend I used to bicycle with. He said that he still works out every day and eats a vegetarian diet so can keep … Continue reading
Lost and Found: Reflections on Luke 15:1-10 The Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin September 15, 2019 Michael Barrett The Pharisees and religious scholars were not pleased, not pleased at all. They GROWLED (complained, bitched, grumbled, bemoaned snarled), “He … Continue reading
Today Is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life Jeremiah 18:1-10, Deuteronomy 30:15-19 September 8, 2019 Roger Barkley Today’s passage from Deuteronomy recounts Moses’ farewell sermon to the people he had led through forty hard years of wilderness … Continue reading