Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C, RCL)

The church at Corinth had many problems. Some simple kindness would have helped.

Anyone who seeks to divide people is working against God. And refusing to say that is sin.

We gave our readers a one-word writing prompt: "enemy."

Matthew 5:38–48

A retired colonel taught me about the courage it takes to love our enemies.

Karl Giberson offers a cultural history of the Bible's first human. It's an intriguing and unsettling story.

Perhaps the real lack of faith in modern society comes down to a lack of reverence for the people around us.

I was 29, agonizing over a decision, when I came upon a little book by Robert Ochs.

By far the most uncomfortable pastoral work I do is with people who want help for relatives in churches that are far away. I once got a call from one such relative who had been elected secretary of a church committee and wondered how she should minute the meeting. Worse are the complaints about pastors who do things I have done. (“My brother says they don’t sing hymns everyone knows. What can we do?”)

I don't usually write about preaching or about specific Revised Common Lectionary texts, since that's well covered elsewhere on the site by people more qualified than I. This is just a quick note motivated by the fact that this Sunday's Gospel reading is the subject of one of the more startling RCL factoids that came up when I was reporting my fall article on alternate lectionaries.

While Christian scholars have long questioned body-soul dualism, it remains common in church circles. This may finally be changing.

Each week my church includes a prayer for the families of American soldiers who have died. As the names are read, I try to hold them in prayer. But I have wrestled with these prayers.

Here are texts that say to the church: "You are holy."

Keeping score and getting even—that’s what enemies do.