Category Archives: Minister’s Blog

I have looked upon thee in the sanctuary, beholding thy power and glory. – Psalm 63:2 (RSV) Tradition has it that Psalm 63 was composed by David when he was in the Judean desert on the run from King Saul. Modern … Continue reading →

Therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. – Hebrews 2:1 (NRSV) Growing up in the Arizona desert, I didn’t know much about boats until the summer I worked at … Continue reading →

Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. – Psalm 111:1 (NRSV) Until this past year, I thought a psalm like Psalm 111 had to be … Continue reading →

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. – Psalm 139:14a (NRSV) I wonder how old the psalmist was when they wrote this psalm. I wonder what gender they were, if they were short or tall, if they … Continue reading →

God was with Ishmael, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. – Genesis 21:20 (NRSV) Ishmael was a child of the wilderness. Conceived in the wilderness of slavery, he was in utero … Continue reading →

“Wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.” – Luke 24:49 (WEB) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is much in the news right now. From grocery clerks to medical staff, bus drivers to nursing home … Continue reading →

“But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you.” – Jonah 2:9 (NRSV) Jonah spoke those words from the belly of a whale. He’d been inside the creature for three days and three nights, after being thrown off … Continue reading →

My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. – Psalm 31:15 I wonder if Jesus prayed Psalm 31 before his entry into Jerusalem. The Gospel of Luke says that next Friday, he prayed—or … Continue reading →

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” – Matthew 5:5 (NRSV) I’ve always had trouble with the third Beatitude. The other blessings from Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount are worthy goals: hungering for righteousness, showing mercy, striving … Continue reading →

“Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called.” – Isaiah 48:12 (NRSV) “Listen.” “Hearken.” “Assemble, all of you, and hear!” “Draw near to me and hear.” Chapter 48 of Isaiah echoes with the injunction to the Israelites to listen … Continue reading →