You may be seated in a small and sparsely furnished room, staring at the single painting, waiting to learn whether you got the job. Maybe you are the nail-biter pacing the floor of a hospital waiting room, longing for a word of hope that your loved one will pull through. Read More

I often wonder how Mary felt in the days leading up to Jesus’s birth. What did it feel like to nurture and carry the Messiah? What physical pain and spiritual peace did she experience? When she received news of her unexpected pregnancy, Luke tells us, “Mary treasured up all these… Read More

As a woman reading Scripture in the 21st century, I find myself torn over the Bible’s portrayal of women. Certain passages tell stories of agency, valor and hope through the inclusion of brave women, while others are laments over the abuse and neglect of women within the community of the… Read More

A popular TV drama follows different generations of a family in different times. It’s fascinating to see the history of relationships, the roots of conflict, and underlying issues that keep surfacing over the years. We find a similar story in the New Testament, as we follow the progress of the… Read More

What’s the greatest gift a loved one could give you? Flowers, an engagement ring, a day to relax? Perhaps words that convey how much you mean to them? Whether you’re single or happily in a relationship this Valentine’s Day, you have a wide-ranging collection of love letters right at your… Read More

“Now, you shepherds, listen to what I, the LORD, am telling you.” Ezekiel 34:7 delivers a hard message to the leaders of Israel. In the midst of their neglect and abuse, God spoke. Loudly. “As surely as I am the living God, you had better listen to me.” The very… Read More

I recently reached Senior Citizen status and was having a little trouble celebrating the event. It seemed a bit unreal—after all, wasn’t I just 35 a year or two ago? Then I remembered: Oh yeah, the kids are married with families of their own. My husband and I downsized our… Read More

A week after my close friend unexpectedly passed away, I found myself sitting on the hard wood pews of my church. Los Angeles was suffering through a hot spell in early November. Steamy haze rose from the pavement when I walked across the parking lot, making the air smell of… Read More

You might call it the Arts Section of the Bible. Five books, smack dab in the center, that follow their own rules. Some call them Wisdom Literature, or the Writings, or the Poetic Books, but nothing else in Scripture is quite like this collection. The Psalms, of course, are songs,… Read More

“We each must die and disappear like water poured out on the ground. But God doesn’t take our lives. Instead, he figures out ways of bringing us back when we run away” (2 Sam 14:14 CEV). With these words, a woman courageously challenged King David to bring back his rebellious… Read More