Scripture - Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram & said to him, “I am El Shaddai. Walk with me & be trustworthy.” Have you ever wondered what God meant when he commanded Abram to be trustworthy before him? The King James Version says be perfect & some of the modern translations still render it that way. Others translate the Hebrew as be blameless. Regardless of the translation, what did it mean for Abram? More importantly, what does it

Scripture - Genesis 9:8-17 I do not know anyone whose spirits are not improved by a rainbow. It does not seem to matter where you are – stuck in rush hour traffic on a Friday afternoon or sitting on a porch watching the wind blow waves across the lake. The point is you are not expecting anything. It is raining, & your soul has fallen silent under the drumming on the roof. All plans are cancelled. There is nothing to do but wait it out & so you sit there, sniffing all the thin

Scripture - Mark 9:2-9 Listen, for God speaks, calling out to the earth, speaking for all to hear. Centuries prior to this event, according to the book of Exodus in the Old Testament, God came down on Mt. Sinai in a cloud. The voice of God spoke out of the cloud, & everyone was afraid. Moses went to the top of the mountain & begged to see God’s glory: Please show me your glorious presence. And God responded: As my glorious presence passes by, I’ll set you in a gap in the rock

Scripture - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 During this past year of upheaval & disruption related to the presidential election, racial injustice, & the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been particularly envious of a couple of retired pastor friends who were free to be quite vocal in direct & pointed ways during these controversial & divisive days. They said or posted things publicly that I believe were true & needed to be said, but they were not always things that were warmly received by ev

Scripture - Mark 1:21-28 Prepare to be amazed again at God’s teachings, for God’s teachings are amazing still. Prepare to discover wisdom, for God’s word is full of wisdom & truth. Mark uses the term authority for the first time; the word literally means “out of the original stuff.” It comes from the same root as the word ‘author.’ Mark means that Jesus taught about life with original rather than derived authority. He did not just clarify something that they already knew, or