Enemies, Shepherds, and Divine Promises
Joanne Gallardo
One of the first passages from the Bible that children learn is the 23rd Psalm. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. This Psalm stays with us through adulthood. For many, this is a passage chosen for memorial services. But why this Psalm? What makes it so important to us that we take […]
The Extravagant Disciple
Dan Schrock
This is a story of extravagance, of a woman named Mary who dumped very expensive perfume on someone’s dirty feet and then promptly wiped it off. You might call this action absurd, wasteful, or outrageous. Jesus, however, calls it discipleship. To understand why Mary was extravagant, look back to chapter 11. Lazarus, the brother of […]
Ten Thousand Ways
Mag Richer Smith
Orpha was an older woman in our congregation. Her occupation in life had been “cleaning lady,” and Orpha’s life vocation was “servant of God.” She would collect the towels in the church kitchen and the blankets in the nursery and bring them back each week all refreshed. She quilted for the MCC sale and let […]
A Fuller Vision
Dan Schrock
In high school I didn’t know much about trees. I was around them all the time but I didn’t understand them. We lived on a farm in those days, with maple, catalpa, an ash trees growing around our house. I saw them every day. I admired their stately trunks and glorious leaves, their ability to […]