Last May, I posted a list of books I’ve read with a brief description of each one and a bit of a response to it. This annotated bibliography of sorts was useful for me, to organize my thoughts on the books and help me remember the main ideas or stories and my responses to them.…

Assuming that there were Magi and that they saw something remarkable, the story in Matthew chapter 2 is an instance of the community of faith in Jesus interpreting their observations and knowledge in light of the larger biblical story.

My second year of seminary, I was translating Hebrew with some friends. We were making our way through the early chapters of Exodus, and had gotten to the story of Moses and the burning bush. One of us, I don’t remember who, slowly translated the part where Moses asks about God’s name. My friend Phil…

It goes without saying that Thanksgiving is a time to pause, reflect, and express gratitude for all of the good things God has given us. I’m thankful for so many things—a wonderful family, a warm home, a rewarding job, and more than my fair share of good opportunities, to name but a few. Among the…

Just as Israel is the chosen people who signifies God’s relationship with all people, humans might be God’s chosen creatures that signify and express God’s loving relationship with all creatures.

About a year ago, I heard a sermon on the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids in Matthew 25. One of three parables in Matthew 25, in the middle of the fifth and final major “discourse” or teaching sections of Matthew, this parable compares the kingdom of heaven to ten bridesmaids who go out with lamps…

Can science be a source of divine revelation? I’ve been thinking about that question this week, and here’s my preliminary conclusion: it’s complicated. To begin with, much depends on what we mean when we say “revelation.” I’ll be the first to affirm that science can teach us something about God. Psalm 19 and Romans 1,…

The Strange World of the Bible I was a teenager when I started reading the Bible every night. I’m aware now that most American teens probably weren’t doing that in mid-90s, but I didn’t think much about it at the time. I was always involved at church growing up, first in our children’s ministry and…

It’s amazing how simply changing the question you ask of a given Bible story—or in a given situation—can change your perspective and open up a new possibility for meaning and discovery.

A very short poem inspired by teaching children’s Sunday school. Burning Bush Holy Ground Holy Voice Holy Task Holy God, help me…