(Paul Merrill writes here the first Friday of every month. This week, he celebrated a half-century of living and learning.) A very familiar parable Jesus told is about the farmer who planted seeds. The seeds represented the message of God’s Kingdom. Matthew 13:22 reads: “The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear […]

Jesus was always doing awful things. That’s what the Pharisees thought. That’s what some people now think. For example, here’s what he did one afternoon: He rode a donkey into town. He was surrounded by a cheering crowd. He walked into the temple and knocked over tables. He claimed that it was his house. Some […]

Sometimes we read about some of the things God does and think, “that’s not fair.” And I understand that feeling. Even when I know that fair isn’t the standard, I still sometimes wonder. Sometimes, however, there has been clear and fair warning. Jesus gets off the donkey at the end of the parade and walks […]

Two disciples did exactly what Jesus asked them to do. A crowd guided him to Jerusalem. People in the city wondered who he was, wondered what all the noise was. In one short story, we have lots of pictures of reactions to Jesus. I have heard a lot of sermons, nearly fifty Palm Sunday’s worth, […]

Here’s where we’ve been this week. No need to be original Sometimes we work hard to be original. We want to say something new. We want to be creative and innovative. We want to make our mark. Sometimes the best thing to be is a copy. We repeat what we’ve heard. We teach what we’ve […]