Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ...

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul stressed the importance of good thinking. "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7, N...


Have you ever been lost? I don't mean just off course by a block or two; I mean truly lost! That has happened to me more times than I care to recall. The difference between getting lost now and getting lost in my thirties is that today I readily admit when I'm lost and more quickly ask my GPS (human or digital) for help.To the group of disciples who have just learned th...

This Sunday is Good Shepherd Sunday, when we remember in an intentional way that Jesus, by his own declaration, is our shepherd. One of the titles that all ancient Near East monarchs shared was that of shepherd. In Jesus, all the offices of the Israelite nation are combined: Prophet, Priest, and King. Since Jesus is the Son of God, it makes sense for him to identify himsel...

ing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.Praise the Lord with the harp;make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing...

There is a reading from the book of Job in this Sunday's assigned readings.Given that the Easter season, following Lent as it does, is a festive time in the church year, I wondered why. The following are my thoughts on the matter. The book of Job is a reminder to us that we are entirely dependent on God's love and mercy for our very existence.Job, in spite of all his suffe...

Nearly two thousand years ago, citizens and visitors filling the city of Jerusalem and its neighboring villages eagerly prepared to celebrate the Passover, a feast that Jewish people observe annually around this time. Gathered around tables laden with Passover foods, fathers and mothers retold the story of Israel's exodus from 400 years of slavery in Egypt. They recalled t...

Among the many hymns written by Isaac Watts, the 18th-century hymnist and theologian, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" may be considered his magnum opus. The five-stanza hymn begins: When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride. These ideas are radical and counterintuitive to accep...

The following Collect (prayer) is appointed for this Sunday: "Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever."Growing up in an Italian family was a wonderf...

Towards the end of his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote:"Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you"(1 Corinthians 15:1-2).Our word "gospel" comes from a Greek term meaning "good news." It...