Monthly Archives: March 2017

God in All Things

Unofficial pastoral exchange program My time as a Lutheran leader By Mary Robin Craig   It wasn’t exactly an exchange program—there was no trade involved. But for the past fourteen months, I served an ELCA congregation as its interim pastor. It was an unexpected adventure in my call as a teaching elder in the PC(USA)…. Read more »

Meeting Jesus: March 24 Canaanite Woman

Friday of the Third Week in Lent Read Matthew 15:21–28 My daughter was at death’s door, and I was at my wits’ end. Nothing could bring my child back to health. I’d heard rumblings of a Jew working miracles over in Israel. But he moved around a lot, so nobody knew quite where he’d be. I… Read more »

Meeting Jesus: March 23 Young Boy

Thursday of the Third Week in Lent Read John 6:1–14 When I got to the hillside where Rabbi Jesus was teaching, I couldn’t believe it. The crowd was huge! I could see why — we eagerly listened for hours. But as afternoon came, his disciples got anxious. My stomach grumbled, and it dawned on me: nobody… Read more »

Unglued Church

Long Illusions God’s miracles are all around us By Sarah Robbins   Sometimes it takes too long to be able to see what’s going on. I am an impatient person. Having something block my vision or distort what is really going on always feels like a big waste of time to me. I get annoyed…. Read more »

Meeting Jesus: March 22 Thaddaeus

Wednesday of the Third Week in Lent Read Matthew 10:5–20 We’d been watching Jesus at work for a while. We’d followed in his footsteps as he healed bodies and shared wisdom, worshiped in the temple and verbally sparred with its leaders. But today Jesus told us it was our turn: we’d pair off and scatter throughout… Read more »

justleros: more than nonsense / más que disparates

Who sinned? A Revised Common Lectionary resource for March 27 By Magdalena I. García His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ —John 9:2 Read the full lectionary passages here “Who sinned?” we ask as we stare at the riffraff in line crowding the market with… Read more »

Meeting Jesus: March 21 Woman Healed of Bleeding

Tuesday of the Third Week in Lent Read Mark 5:21–43 For 12 long years, I watched my life’s blood drain out of me. Each day, I woke up weaker. Each day, I was reminded of my alienation from society. Each day, I lost hope that I’d get better. So today, in a fit of desperation, I… Read more »

Meeting Jesus: March 20 Jairus

Monday of the Third Week in Lent Read Luke 8:40–55 Nothing has made me feel as powerless as seeing my child dying and not being able to do anything about it. She was too young to suffer like that. I found Jesus, that rabbi who has done all the healing, and begged his help. I… Read more »

Meeting Jesus: March 19 Gerasene Citizen

Third Sunday in Lent Read Mark 5:1–20 Today’s been quite a day. First of all, that crazy man down by the tombs was at it again last night — cutting himself, throwing himself on the ground, howling so loud we could hear it from town. How could we be expected to sleep through a racket… Read more »

Meeting Jesus: March 18 James

Saturday of the Second Week in Lent Read Mark 4:35–41 I’ve sailed the Sea of Galilee all my life. My family has made fishing our living for generations. And I’ll tell you, I’ve seen many a boat capsize in squalls that whip across that lake. So when we got caught in that storm tonight, I… Read more »