A New Start

A New Start

To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here.A New Start Bible stories don’t have official names.  Even though traditional names have become attached to certain texts over the centuries, there’s still plenty of room for discussion. ...
In Christ

In Christ

Throughout the month of August, we’re taking a close look at 23 verses of the New Testament.  They comprise Ephesians chapter one, which paints one of the Bible’s most comprehensive pictures of what it means for ordinary people to be “in Christ.”...
God’s Grace-Challenged Children

God’s Grace-Challenged Children

When author and pastor Rob Bell was a teenager, he and his family attended a church service in a town they were visiting. At the end of the service, they experienced a drama that is played out in a number of conservative congregations.  The pastor invited...
His Grace is Enough

His Grace is Enough

In the ancient world, successful people were expected to boast. Highly regarded teachers, politicians, and public officials were encouraged to polish their resumes and roll them out before the watching world as often as they could.  Caesar Augustus ordered that his...
Grace Wins

Grace Wins

In 1849 a young Russian named Fyodor Dostoevsky was arrested and imprisoned. He was charged with being part of a group that read books that appeared to be critical of Czar Nicholas I. After awaiting trial for eight months in a festering jail, Dostoevsky...