DAILY READING Matthew 15:21-28 Today’s scripture reading is, to me, one of the most difficult passages about Jesus in the Bible. At first reading, it appears that Jesus — the perfect, sinless, all-compassionate Son of God — is being unkind. In his conversation with a Canaanite woman, Jesus appears to be hard-hearted, uncaring, and dare…

DAILY READING Amos 5:4-15 One hot, sticky August many years ago, I was at a retreat center far out in the Tennessee countryside with my colleagues from work. We had spent a long, tiring day in a stuffy conference room. As we wrapped up the evening, one of my co-workers led us in evening prayers.…

DAILY READING Romans 12:1-2 As winter gives way to spring, I enjoy sitting outside on my front porch or patio and watching the changes in nature as the world begins its tilt toward longer days and warmer weather. One spring I observed the leaf-buds on my maple tree in the front yard. I noticed that…

DAILY READING Philippians 4:4-7 One day recently I was riding down the interstate and I noticed a car in one of the other lanes. It was covered with writing on the windows: “Mayo Clinic-bound!” “Please pray for us!” “Praying for healing!” I was touched. Here was a family on a journey seeking healing, driving a…

DAILY READING Philippians 1:9-11 Barbara Brokoff tells of a school and a county rescue squad’s efforts to create a “mock air attack drill” in the 1950s. The alarm went off, and the school chose a 4th-grade boy to lie on a stretcher, waiting for the ambulance to arrive.  Everyone forgot to call the ambulance, and…

DAILY READING Philippians 1:1-6 Laughter is a gift from God. Our medical experts exalt the virtues of laughter. People who have a minimum of three good laughs a day are healthier, have greater oxygen flow through their bodies, build stronger immunity systems, sleep better, and have less stress. Even people who force a good laugh…

DAILY READING Philippians 1:1-6 While on a mission trip, I got “doubled-over-sick,” unable to stand and walk. I was not happy, but I had joy. How? There’s a difference between happiness and joy. Because Paul weaves joy through its 104 verses, the church refers to Philippians as the Book of Joy. What’s the difference between joy…

DAILY READING Philippians 1:3-5 While being chased by a dog, the cat turned and “barked” at it. The dog, totally confused and now scared, ran to hide behind a bush. The caption of this newspaper cartoon read, “It helps to know a second language.” Paul’s second language was prayer with thanksgiving and joy. Paul was…

DAILY READING Philippians 1:1-2 Retired Bishop Emerson Colaw tells of six-year-old Mary Taft, whose family were members of Hyde Park UMC, Cincinnati, where he pastored for many years. On her first day of school, the teacher asked the children to introduce themselves. Mary stood tall and said, “I am Mary Taft. My great-grandfather was the…