Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, Genesis 18. 1 - 16 In today's reading from Genesis, three men arrive at Abraham's tent as they wander in the desert. Abraham immediately jumps up and invites them in, offering them a meal of bread and meat and what we would call good old fashioned hospitality. It is an early story about welcoming the stranger and the blessing that comes upon one who does that. Before the wanderers leave, they say Abraham and Sara

"Now you have conceived and shall bear a son; you shall call him Ishmael, for the Lord has given heed to your affliction." Genesis 16. 1 - 14 The first line in the novel Moby Dick by Herman Melville is "Call me Ishmael," and it has come to be known as the classic way a novelist tells the reader the narrator is quintessentially unreliable. It is like saying, "oh just call me Joe." Without going into all the ways to recognize "Ishmael's" unreliability, we might ask ourselve

"He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God".  These words from Aeschylus, ancient Greek writer often described as the father of tragedy who preceded Jesus by at least five hundred years, followed the call and commissioning of Abram by about 1500 years. They were also used by Robert F. Kennedy in his speech the night Ma

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness--on them light has shined. Isaiah 9. 1 - 4 Winter Storm Fern is bearing down on 40 states in my country, reaching across about 2300 miles, affecting about 245 million people. At this point on Sunday morning, 230,000 to 300,000 people are without power. I slept with a battery powered lantern by my bed last night, made my coffee and put it in the fridge and have a headlamp in

...but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." John 4. 1 - 15 There is a park down the street from me with a small lake and a fountain in the middle. Most of the year the water flows from the fountain and fills the lake. (see below) But this time of year, a layer of ice and snow covers the lake, and yet the fountain still flows. The water gushes up

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 14 I have a friend at church who, at the end of every meeting, raises his hands as Jesus did and says "May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and always." We are all so prepared for him to do this that we follow along, hands raised reciting this beautiful verse with him. Last

Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening. 1 Samuel 3. 19 - 20 The story of Samuel and Eli at the beginning of 1 Samuel has always interested me, particularly when I am pondering the Trinity, God three in one, Creator,Redeemer, Sustainer. What or who was it that called Samuel? Not the incarnate God - Jesus Redeemer and probably not God Creator, but I do believe it was the Holy Spirit, God

"This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3. 13 - 17 On this Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, we hear words come down from heaven which we all long to hear..."my son, my daughter the beloved." I believe that hearing these words, knowing this truth could make a tremendous difference in the course of the world. Some of the most egregious acts by men and women in the history have been done by people who did not know their belovedness. I also believe

A friend commented about the egregious nature of our world right now and how difficult it is to find hope in the horror of the actions of people and presidents... "There is a gaping hole in me, and the light, wonder and revelation of Epiphany are hard to feel right now, she said." Sigh...so sadly true. And yet, Paul's letter to the people of Colossae this morning gives us hope in the face of these difficult times. We hear the reassurance that God chose to make known the rich

but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence . 1 Kings 19. 9 - 18 In his search for the Lord, Elijah heard God say go stand on the mountain and wait for the Lord to pass by...and so he did. But he didn't find God in the wind or the earthquake or the fire...only in the "sheer silence" which translates in Hebrew as a deep, profound, or absolute quiet. A wise woman once said that eloquent was a good translation for sheer, and ever since I hear