Weheia, the word used for “open” in the Hawaiian text of Luke, has an interesting range of meanings: open, untie, undo, loosen, unlock, take off (as clothes). So we can consider...

During the Sanctus at every Eucharist, we acclaim, “Heaven and earth are full of your glory.” The psalmist proclaims the same throughout this psalm. The psalmist commands heavenly beings to declare...

How are we to understand the privileging of Israel here? It seems beyond our understanding of God’s general justice. As Creator, God’s love is for all creation. To the extent that...

We find parentheses in today’s reading. Don’t you love parentheses? I think of them as little Wikipedia entries within a story. They illuminate what we might not see otherwise. Christianity in...

We could read today’s psalm as a portrayal of a distant God separate from creation and thus capricious and rapacious. We could read it as God thrashing and trashing the trees,...

Redemption and wilderness experience go together. Isaiah’s covenant people know God’s love by going through literal and figurative flood and fire, by enduring exile and fear. God’s covenant-making and -keeping engages...

Heightened expectations unleash in and among us a palpable and playful wildness. Emotions stir. Our senses go on alert. We wonder and speculate. We ask questions: “What’s the buzz? What does...

The journey of three astrologers to the epiphany of Christ includes every means of revelation discussed this week. A peculiar star piques their interest. It prompts wonder to the point of...

Biblical texts honor the power of words. Names matter. Stories transport the energy of plot and characters through the teller to the told. Whether we speak of God’s light piercing the...

Paul argues that creation should suffice to reveal the Creator and prompt devotion. But the human heart’s impatience for heavenly blessings leads us to worship idols and pursue cheap substitutes. In...