I want to share two stories with you today, one from history and one from the Bible. But what stands out in each of them are the individuals who were willing to be courageous, men and women of vision. And out of that courage and vision, they were willing to step out and be different,…

Sin, judgment, retribution. Sin, judgment, retribution. It’s a relentless cycle. And scripture, in both Old and New Testaments, makes it painfully clear that no one is freed from it. No one, no matter their social status, their courage, their godliness, their experience—no one is freed from that horrible cycle. Breaking the Cycle No one, that…

Life has become a maelstrom in which speed and accomplishment, consumption and productivity, have become the most valued of human commodities. In this rush over work, we take everything for granted. What else can we do? We consume things, people and information. We do not have time to savor this life, nor to care deeply…

In the early part of the thirteenth century, God spoke to Francis through a whole series of events, from an encounter with a leper to a vision where he heard God say, “Restore my church.” Initially, he thought that meant to rebuild the ruins outside Assisi. He had no idea in the beginning that he…

As we discussed in last week’s post, none of us is worthy apart from Jesus. But sometimes we forget that, even in church: “Oh, let’s make room for Michael, because he’s doing well at business these days. We could use the income from his gifts.” “Come and take this special seat, Michael. We’re really glad…