David was a strong leader. People remembered the way he “led Israel out to war” and took Mount Zion by force (2 Sam. 5:2, 9, CEB). In our capital cities, we...

While we are “marching upward to Zion,” what kind of leader can we trust to show us the way? The first reason the Israelite tribes gave for choosing David was, “We...

The lectionary reading leaves verses 6-8 out of this passage. It’s not unlike the way we try to hide the ugly stories in our history. Located on the border between Israel...

I never cease to be inspired when I arrive in Washington, D.C. and ride past the Washington Monument or walk around the Lincoln, Jefferson, and King memorials. They are architectural witnesses...

This is not the only time the Gospels give us reason to hope beyond hope that our prayers for humanly impossible situations might be answered. There is Jesus’ delayed response to...

All kinds of touching happen throughout this twin narrative. First there is Jairus falling at Jesus’ feet, possibly grasping him in desperation, begging him to “ . . . lay your...

My own prayer life has been formed under the mentorship of praying women, my mother being the primary role model. These women taught me how to “stand in the gap” as...

We might well wonder what’s going on here? A guilt trip? A stewardship moment? This passage has been lifted out of a larger appeal or petition made by the apostle on...

Who of us has never blamed ourselves for something that went wrong? If I had only . . . I should have . . . I could have . . ....

Oh, the desperation in these first two verses! The psalmist seems to be shouting above the noise of the churning waters of chaos in order to be heard. The depths are...