John 9

It’s hard to see the way God sees.

The light of the world illumines those who are open but is opaque to those who claim powerful position.

Amid pandemic and protest, will we turn to each other and live?

Keep going, says John.

Do antisemitic appeals to the Bible always constitute an abuse of scripture? Would that it were so simple.

I routinely saw patients who were racist, sexist, demanding, and cruel. They were also afraid, exhausted, in pain, and helpless.

Caring for the sick means keeping them in our risk pool.

It's a question I ask my children all the time.

The earthiness of Jesus' cure of the blind man in John 9 recalls all of the ways that God uses basic elements in creation and salvation.

John 9:1–41

In opioid country, churches get to know their recovery communities.

Seeing has fooled me into thinking I have a clear view of where the road leads.

It's a truism that Christianity lives and breathes as much (or more) through music as through preaching or teaching, to say nothing of dense theological texts--so Christian preachers and teachers should be on the lookout for ways to incorporate the great hymns of the tradition into our sermons, lessons and other theological work.

Samuel, the Billy Graham of his day, was adviser to the political leader Saul, the Pete Rose of ancient Israel. Samuel anointed Saul to be the first king of Israel. But soon (to quote James Thurber), “confusion got its foot in the door” and went through the entire “system.” Samuel observed Saul disobeying the explicit word of God, and it became Samuel’s job to inform Saul that God had rejected him as king.

"You can't be born again," I said, "you're a Lutheran. You are the chairman of the board of trustees."