DAILY READING John 12:1-8 Communing with God is one way to understand the act of prayer. The act of communing implies a closeness and intimacy that is experienced on a deep, spiritual level. During worship we are invited to experience this kind of spiritual closeness when we receive the body and blood of Christ through the sacrament of Holy Communion. In…

DAILY READING Luke 15:1-3; 11-32b The Prodigal Son is one of my favorite parables because it really puts the love and grace of the father on display. The son believes he is no longer worthy of his father’s love, but his father exclaims how happy he is to have his son back and throws a celebratory feast…

DAILY READING Luke 15:1-3; 11-32b This passage comes right before Jesus teaches some very familiar parables. Before launching into those teachings, this passage gives us the perspective that those listening were doubtful of Jesus because he gave his time and opened his table to sinners. The parables that follow outline the willingness to leave the 99 to go find…

DAILY READING Luke 15:1-3; 11-32b What we love about the parable of the Lost Sheep (and most of Jesus’ parables for that matter) is how it gleefully rejects the modern rules of our society.  “Doesn’t the shepherd leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”  “Uh, No, Jesus. I’d say 99 out of 100…

DAILY READING Luke 15:1-3; 11-32b Put yourself in the shoes of the father from the third parable: your beloved child has left home with their inheritance and moved to another state. No one has seen or heard from them for some time. Until one day, they show up in the driveway with nothing but the…

DAILY READING Luke 15:1-3; 11-32b Jesus frequently employed the use of parables when he was teaching. By teaching through parables, Jesus invites us to use our imagination, placing ourselves in the story, so that we might better understand the challenging lesson he is teaching us.   Though they are very different stories, the parables of the…

DAILY READING Luke 15:1-3; 11-32b I sat and thought, ran and processed, opened Google and real books trying to find something unique or awe inspiring about the story of the prodigal son as it relates to prayer. How does prayer fit in these verses? How does it apply? What can I offer of interest that goes…

DAILY READING Luke 13:1-9  What Jesus reminds us of time and time again in the scriptures is that we must care and tend to our souls. Just as gardens need to be tilled, soiled, and cared for, so do we as human beings. Just as our bodies were made to eat, drink, exercise, and play… they were also made for rest. In…