On My Mind

The bigwigs huddled in secret, hatching a plan to arrest and kill Jesus. But they had a problem: pilgrims were pouring into Jerusalem by the tens of thousands to observe Passover, and they were in a frenzy of excitement about Jesus. Jesus had to be eliminated. “‘But not during the Feast,’ they whispered, ‘or there […]

It had been a rough day for Jesus in the temple. First, the Pharisees tag teamed with the Herodians to snag him in a trap about paying taxes to Caesar. Then it was the Sadducees, with a cockamamie story about seven brothers dying one after another, each marrying the left-behind widow. Their “gotcha” question was, […]

Jazz pianist George Shearing was born blind, but crafted a remarkably successful career. Self-pity wasn’t in his DNA. He fearlessly navigated crowded downtown sidewalks with his dark glasses and white cane. At a busy London intersection during rush hour one day he was hoping some compassionate soul would help him across. Someone tapped him on […]

Mark 4:35-41 They were terrified! They had been in lots of storms, but never one like this. Most of them were experienced mariners. They had grown up around water, were professional fishermen, knew how to handle a boat. But they were no match for this storm. Jesus was sound asleep, and that rubbed them the […]

Story Number 1. “Follow me,” Jesus said.  He said he would, but but he wanted to wait until his father died and he had banked his inheritance (Lk. 9:59). Another said, “Count me in … but first I need to be sure my family is OK with it” (Lk. 9:61). Jesus was now on his final trek […]

Luke 15:11-31 I smiled when I saw the sign in the front yard. It was as big as a bedsheet: WELCOME HOME DAVE! Dave was the son of Jack and Nancy Carter. Fine young man. He had just finished the semester and was coming home to Littleton, Colorado, for the summer. You see it when […]

He was rich. But something was missing. So he came to Jesus with a question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mk. 10:17). Obey the commandments. Done that. What else must I do? Well, if you’re serious, sell your stuff, give to the poor, and follow me. That was setting the bar too […]

Day to day, year to year, news remains pretty much the same … A war going on somewhere. Violence on some street in our hometown. People fighting for position, power, a bigger slice of the pie. Hunger, with pictures so appalling we have to look away. Those who have fallen on hard times living in […]

Some wag said, “The only thing in life that is certain is that nothing is certain.” Really? Here are three things about which I feel certain … Life is a gift from God to be treasured and enjoyed. “Can I help you find something?” “Yes, thank you. I need a carton of kindness, a package […]

The day Frederick Buechner graduated from Princeton he and his classmates were lining up to march to their commencement seats when a fellow-graduate moseyed down the column asking each person, “What are you going to do now?” A few had a job lined up. A good number were headed to graduate school. But for some […]