Promises, Promises
Lisa Showalter
For my husband, Brian, and myself, 2014 has felt a bit like being repeatedly kicked in the shins. On January seventh, after ten years at his job, Brian was rather unceremoniously “let go.” Watching a husband who had invested, and sacrificed so much of himself for a company who so easily dismissed him was painful […]
God-Smacked
Dan Schrock
During my first year at Chicago Theological Seminary, I lived in one of the seminary’s dormitories. One afternoon at 5:00 I left my dorm room and walked down to the dormitory kitchen, located in the basement. This kitchen served all the students who lived in that dorm. We each had our own cupboard and cooked […]
Boundaries, Buckets and Blessings
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
The Jews and Samaritans had been estranged for a long time. It all started when those who had been in exile and those who had not been in exile, couldn’t agree on where the temple should be. Initially, it was a mild estrangement, but around 200 BCE, it grew in intensity. It ended with the […]
Jesus’ Temptations—and Ours
Dan Schrock
For many of us this story is extremely familiar. We hear it nearly every year in our Lenten worship services because Matthew, Mark, and Luke each tell a version of this story. We call it “the temptations of Jesus,” though I’m not sure how tempting Jesus actually found Satan’s three offers. I don’t know about […]
Singleness – One Voice
Margaret Stoltzfus
I have written this meditation in my mind numerous times trusting that the Spirit would bring to my attention the pieces that would be most beneficial for each of us. How well I have succeeded remains to be seen. I cannot speak for all single persons but I can share my story. My present singleness […]
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall….Reflecting God’s Image
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
I love the bodies of babies and young children. It amazes me how they enter the world with everything they need in order to survive‐‐healthy lungs that breathe and support their strong voices, digestive systems that take in food and expel what is not needed. And yet, these bodies are vulnerable, weak‐‐most newborns can’t hold […]
Fear . . . and God
Dan Schrock
Each of us here this morning knows what it is to be afraid. I have a friend who has an unusual and chronic disease that’s notoriously difficult to treat. In a desperate search for better health, he has traveled to several cities to consult with specialists in big-name medical centers. One of these specialists finally […]
Bethlehem, not Jerusalem
Dan Schrock
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, not Jerusalem. Have you ever thought about the significance of that fact? Bethlehem was a small village of just a few hundred souls. The folks who lived out in Bethlehem were mostly farmers and small‐time trades people. Life in Bethlehem was pretty simple and uncomplicated, where everyone knew everyone else […]
Dreaming and Trusting with Joseph
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
Picture the conversation between Mary and Joseph. Mary says, “Joseph, we need to talk.” And Joseph might then be thinking, “Now what have I done?!” When she says, “I’m pregnant,” he knows that in fact, he hasn’t done anything, and in this case, that is the problem. Because if he isn’t the father, then who […]
Of Kings and Justice
Dan Schrock
The kings of Israel and Judah were such disappointments. Take Solomon, for example. He started out well enough early in his reign. Remember the time when as a newly crowned king he prayed to Yahweh for “an understanding mind to govern your people,” a mind “able to discern between good and evil” (1 Kings 3:3-14)? […]
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