If tradition holds true and Jesus was a carpenter, it is interesting that he never pulls a plumb line out of his toolbox for a parable or two. Nonetheless, much of...

Most houses are not plumb. Some were never built that way; others have settled or shifted. It is almost impossible to bring an out-of-plumb house back into true. We think of...

Yesterday we pondered the good news that changed the people at Colossae. Today we go back to Amos. Amos’s words are difficult, and they feel like anything but good news. This...

Nightly news about the economy, politics, and world affairs is often bad news. We hear of attacks, abuses, pollutions, starvations, and contaminations. Most nights we wonder why we don’t ever hear...

The Saint Benedict Center in Schuyler, Nebraska, is a beautiful spiritual retreat center. It has soaring ceilings and long, expansive hallways. The breathtaking perspective its ceilings and hallways offer communicates an...

Tucked in among the tourist traps of the South Dakota Black Hills is a self-entitled “Mystery House.” The mystery of the Mystery House is that water seems to run uphill, and...

The psalmist we meet in this passage has known a life of trouble. Although we don’t know the specifics, we can imagine that tears have fallen, the air has felt thick...

Rule-following can offer us the gift of satisfaction. We convey this message to children from a young age: Learn the rules; act accordingly. Often, following the rules equals happiness and ignoring...

Paul cares deeply about how the members of the church relate to one another. He has seen the church at Galatia at its best and at its worst. He sees how...

Jesus teaches the value of servanthood and humility in the kingdom of God. Our mission is not to make a name for ourselves or to seek personal recognition for our achievements....