Today, just as on every Sunday, Christians around the world gather for worship. Those who gather for worship include Christians from the Netherlands, Malaysia and Australia. These may include the families of some who died in the airliner that was shot down over the Ukraine a few days ago. Those who gather for worship may be fathers or mothers or sisters or brothers of the 298 people who died. If one of the readings they hear this morning is our gospel reading for today, those shocked and … [Read more...]

This coming Tuesday I will once again visit the Renton Farmers Market. Since early June it’s been fun to buy strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and cherries; these are some of my favorites but you can find all kinds of fresh produce to grace your table! What a great time of year to hear the parable of the sower! Planting, growing, harvest—it’s all here! One of the problems with this story for people who have heard it countless times is that we think we know what it means … [Read more...]

This past week two movies have been on my mind. Each year Minjing and I enjoy attending the Seattle International Film Festival. This year our favorite film was from Poland. It’s called Life Feels Good. The film is based on the true story of Mateusz, a man who was born with cerebral palsy, which meant he had little control over his body. Many of his basic bodily functions needed to be taken care of by others. This was back in the middle of the 20th century when people didn’t know much … [Read more...]

In this past Friday’s Seattle Times was a story about a man named Ronald Dwaine Carnes, who committed armed robbery in Winston-Salem, NC, in 1970. Carnes was caught, convicted and sent to prison. In 1973 he escaped from prison until he was arrested in Iowa earlier this year. Carnes avoided prison for over four decades. And yet, we might ask: During the time he evaded the law, was he really free? Being out of prison is better than being in; but is hiding, deceiving, looking over your shoulder the … [Read more...]

Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?” Back in 1996 my wife and I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There were about a dozen of us on the tour. My wife and I stuck out in our group, for two reasons; because, a) we were the only Americans—the rest were Europeans—and, b) in our mid-30s, we were by far the youngest in our group. As we traveled through Israel, over and over I experienced amazement and astonishment. In response to buildings and people … [Read more...]

Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?” Back in 1996 my wife and I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There were about a dozen of us on the tour. My wife and I stuck out in our group, for two reasons; because, a) we were the only Americans—the rest were Europeans—and, b) in our mid-30s, we were by far the youngest in our group. As we traveled through Israel, over and over I experienced amazement and astonishment. In response to buildings and people … [Read more...]