The book of Jonah is like an extended scene from a Second City comedy routine. A man is sent to his worst enemy to announce their immanent doom, a job he understandably wants to avoid. He tries to avoid his fate, and gets thrown over the side of the ship that was carrying and ends … Continue reading Message: Out of the Belly and Onto the Shore… →

The Hebrew bible text assigned for this Sunday is one of my favorites in the whole of scripture. Isaiah declares, “the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners.” You often hear … Continue reading Message: A job posting… →

One of my favorite new hymns in the ELW is #715, "Christ, Be Our Light."  Each verse begins by naming the neediness that fills our lives: Longing for light, we wait in darkness. Longing for truth, we turn to you... Longing for peace, our world is troubled. Longing for hope, many despair... Longing for food, … Continue reading Message: Longing and yearning… →