What if I don’t have to have the story, the understanding, the application out of this one event that we read in Mark? +++ The followers of John and the people who followed closely the teachers of the Pharisees were looking at the ways that the followers of Jesus were not, apparently, closely following the […]

Thinking a little about Jesus with Rich Dixon +++ Last Thursday, Jon’s story reminded me how easily I project my preferences onto Jesus. It’s kind of amazing how frequently Jesus seems to agree with me. No matter the disagreement or controversy, He always appears to take my side. [end of sarcasm] When I look back, […]

As I prepared to teach yesterday in our hospital chapel, I was reading through one of the texts for the day, from Luke 4. I was captured by the word “rage” in part of the passage: And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; and they got up and drove Him […]

It’s possible to do informal research to prove a story that we want to tell. We find one or two examples. We talk to a couple people we know agree with us. We say, “See? This!” It happens all the time. I’ll wait while you fill in your favorite example. I’ll wait another minute while […]