30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C, RCL)

It is so tender that God would say God owes us one.

In Joel I encounter the God who has counted what I’ve lost and promised to pay it back.

In Psalm 84, an expectant swallow makes her nest in the temple.

What we can learn from the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector

This Reformation Day, I'm preaching the Gospel text from the lectionary.

Jesus' characters aren't nuanced; they're all elbows and ankles.

In God's life, all creatures get attention.

What does Mr. Publican do once he arrives at home?

Nations as well as individuals need to look in the moral mirror in order to stop deceiving ourselves.

The cross is anything but a success story. Failure and disappointment are at the heart of Christianity.

I decided to write about the Joel reading in my Century column for this week, because I find his language and imagery—like that of many of the prophetic books—so rich and inspiring. But if I were preaching myself (not that I ever have to) I would probably choose to address the omissions from the Jeremiah and Timothy readings.

I used to picture humility as a door I was afraid to open. I never thought of it as an itinerary to holiness.

It has not happened all that often, but on occasions someone has been upset enough with a sermon I've preached to call me up and complain.

"Mary has chosen the better part," says Jesus, "and it will not be taken away from her." This is not what Jesus is supposed to say.

Words of judgment are difficult to hear. Actually, I have no trouble hearing how they apply to others. And when the preacher gives a logical explanation of how the law applies to me, I understand it and nod my head in agreement. But it often makes little connection with my heart and even less with the way I live.

Jesus uses this parable to lure us into a trap. Hearing it we cannot help but be thankful we are not like that Pharisee. If we are thankful we are not like him, then we are just like him.