Joseph appears to be a bit player in the grand drama of the incarnation. We only hear about him in church every third year, when the lectionary highlights Matthew’s birth narrative. He did not contribute biologically to Jesus’ conception in the conventional way—at least as far as we know—and he did not make lasting prophetic utterances like the … Read the rest
Continue reading "Righteous to be Wrong" »
“Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” That question simply breaks my heart. Dear wild-eyed John the Baptist, eating bugs and baptizing by the river and generally exacting a harsh sentence upon himself in order to make straight the way of the Lord. But even if his self-discipline was severe, … Read the rest
Continue reading "Are You The One?" »
In this, the second Sunday of Advent, the church traditionally remembers the prophets. Scripture names them and records their words—in this case, Isaiah and John and Baptist—but they’re really prophets because people recognized their wisdom to challenge the status quo. You probably know this, but it’s worth repeating: Biblical prophecy is not so much about predicting the future … Read the rest
Continue reading "Dressed in Truth" »
Last Monday my father and stepmother flew into town to share Thanksgiving with us. I went to SFO planning to pick them up, but I inadvertently made them wait. Or rather, Southwest airlines made us all wait. And for an unexpectedly good reason. Their flight had departed late from Denver, so Dad called to let me know he’d … Read the rest
Continue reading "Awakened in Time" »
Last week I happened across a video satire of some of the many distortions of Christianity that are rampant in popular culture. The fictional protagonist was having a conversation with Jesus, in which she was correcting his message. She insisted that he focused far too much on healing and helping and sharing with the poor, and suggested … Read the rest
I am already being poured out as a libation, wrote Paul in his letter to Timothy. What an intimate and vulnerable thing to say, even in a letter to a dear friend. The New Testament lesson we just heard was written near the end of Paul’s earthly life, when he had been abandoned by most of his ministry … Read the rest
Continue reading "Poured out in Love + Derramado por Amor" »
What a way to begin ministry together! Consider the stories of faith we’ve heard this morning: a deceitful patriarch Jacob getting his hip put out of joint while wrestling with God, and a strict Paul admonishing his protégé Timothy to suffer for the sake of the Gospel. And then there’s that peevish judge in Jesus’ parable, who … Read the rest
Continue reading "Persevere in Hope" »
Several years ago, when I was a brand new priest serving on the staff of the bishop of the Diocese of California, I was asked to be the spiritual director for a weekend retreat. The retreat, an extension of well-established prison ministry, was designed for women whose husbands or … Read the rest
Continue reading "The Name You Know" »
It’s all about the meals, according to New Testament scholar Robert Karris. In his book “Eating your Way through Luke’s Gospel,” he points out that Jesus almost always seems to be either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal. And in the Gospel we just heard, Jesus is teaching about … Read the rest
Continue reading "Dangerous Eating" »