[This is a repost from February 17, 2009. New posts will resume January 8] [Matthew 6:1-18] The church is full of hypocrites. That’s what people say. I’ve heard it said. It’s hard to argue with that statement, mostly because I look in the mirror. I go to church. I have huge gaps between what I […]

A year ago we started on a journey, 300 words at a time. In this year we have – in 288 posts (counting this one) and  somewhere around 85,00 words – worked our way through the book of Matthew. We’ve taken a few stops along the way. I’ve enjoyed this year. I’ve looked more closely […]

Jesus gave his followers a homework assignment. Then he became invisible. (Disappearing and being invisible are different). Make disciples, he said. What I’ve done with you, do with others. So what did he do to make disciples? Go, baptize, teach. He went. He wandered. He moved from place to place. As he went, he took […]

When we play games, we adjust the rules. In some houses, if you land on “Go” in Monopoly, you get to collect $400 (instead of the usual $200 the rules specify). In other houses, the blank tiles in Scrabble can be replaced like the blank tiles in Rummikub. They are called “house rules.” The person […]

When it comes to the end of his story of Jesus, Matthew rushes. He talks about the garden scene, he talks about the soldiers, and then he jumps to the  end of Jesus’ time physically on earth. Mark and Luke and John give us more details. Matthew wraps things up with a homework assignment from […]