The Economy of Grace
Mark Schloneger
I think Jesus told this parable to get under his disciples’ skin a bit. I think he told it not only to teach us about what the kingdom of heaven is like but about what this world is like and what we are like. The world sees strength, power, intelligence and wealth and rewards it. […]
I Am There
Billy Funk
We encounter in the Matthew text a Jesus that calls us to go beyond what is expected of us, beyond the revenge-thinking of the world or quick dismissal of others, and calls us to a life of lived forgiveness, even if we have to do so at a distance. In the Parable we get the sense […]
From Scarcity to Abundance
Mark Schloneger
A number of years ago, I attended a church leadership retreat at Camp Amigo in Sturgis, Michigan. On our second day there, we were invited to an extended time of silence. There were different stations set up for us to pray and to reflect, but we were told to use that time as we wished. […]
From Exceptionalism to Inclusion or Will the Real Prodigal Please Stand Up?
Richard A. Kauffman
When I was 15 I started to rebel against my parents. I thought they were too strict, so I pushed against their boundaries. One hot, July night I went out with some friends. They didn’t want me to go, but I did anyway. We didn’t do anything really bad. We were just boys being boys, […]
From Earning to Receiving
Mark Schloneger
Luke, chapter 13, tells the story of when some people came up to Jesus and told him about a group of Galileans who were brutally murdered by Pilate, their blood spread on the offerings that they were bringing to God. Jesus had been teaching about God’s love and forgiveness. He also had been teaching about […]
From Privilege to Cruciformity
Richard A. Kauffman
Many of you here know of Michael “MJ” Sharp, I assume. He spent part of his growing up years in Goshen and went to Bethany Christian High School, where he had a bit of a reputation as a trouble-maker. But he was very smart and had an expansive vision of what he wanted to do […]
From Security to Generosity
Mark Schloneger
On Wednesday evening — Ash Wednesday evening, I received a mark of ashes on my forehead in the shape of a cross, just like the one I’m wearing now. As I received it, I was told these words, just these words: “Mark, from dust you’ve come, and to dust you shall return.”
Hearts, minds, and possession
Mark Schloneger
This dirt is mine. Well, it’s my wife Sarah’s too, and yes, it’s mostly the bank’s. But let’s not get distracted by the details. Under the law, this dirt is mine because I paid for the exclusive right to call it mine, and what that means is that no one else can call it theirs. […]
It matters where we gaze
Richard A. Kauffman
I was probably in elementary school when my family took a trip through the mountains of PA. My dad was driving and as he rounded a curve a rattle snake slithered across the road. My dad, being my dad, stopped the car alongside the road and with his camera followed the snake into the woods […]
Chosen
Mark Schloneger
When it comes to our pets, let’s be honest: we chose them — they didn’t choose us. No, we chose them, and when we did so, we didn’t know whether they’d be affectionate or hostile, loyal or rebellious, intelligent or . . . thick-headed. We didn’t know whether they’d respect our property or be a […]
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