Written by the Story

  Dear Good Shepherd and friends, You are made in the image of God. You can't really improve on that. Yet, we try and try and try to make ourselves into something, as if being made in the image of God were not good enough. The wisdom teacher who wrote the book called Ecclesiastes called it "chasing after the wind." All our human striving is like trying to capture the wind or grasp a puff of smoke. It's not that he thinks our human pursuits are pointless. He thinks that chasing after things  in the effort to make our identity, to find meaning in life through acquiring and achieving , is a waste of time. None of it makes us who we are, none of it can improve on the claim that you and I are made in the image of God. And so also is the person you might see if you look up right now. At the end of the day, you and the person you see are absolutely no different. We're just really gullible at believing the differences based on the identities we have created. The reality i...

  Every year, it is Easter Sunday that gets the focus. Before Holy Week even hits, churches advertise Easter services, looking ahead to the big event. And I understand it (sort of)...churches need to do it in our triumphant culture. We want to celebrate the triumph and the "victory," the hero who overcomes.  I fear we're missing the point.  The actual stories of the gospels have a curious difference in perspective. The gospels spend much less time on the resurrection than they do on the crucifixion. It makes me wonder if we have put the emphasis on the wrong syllable. I mean, if we want to get the story right, shouldn't we follow the script a little more closely? Combined, the gospels spend a total of eight chapters on the trial and crucifixion accounts, and less than half of that amount on the resurrection (Mark gets a mere eight verses).  And the focus on the crucifixion is not limited to the stories of Jesus' trial and death. Leading up to his death, Jesus spea...

  "Kiss my ring. Bow at my feet. Wash my feet. Make sure you serve and honor me the way that I deserve." All things nearly every king, ruler, and person in power has said throughout human history. All things the gods and goddesses of the religious marketplace of the ancient world demanded. All things Jesus never said. During Jesus' last night, he revealed in startling ways what he had been all about from day one. As God's presence on earth: He was born in obscurity and poverty in a garage filled with animals, the living "tools" of a pre-tech age. He never made it his mission to make his way out and climb to the top of the social ladder. Jesus is not a poster God for the American dream. He lived among the struggling and the sick; among the sinners and the overworked. He didn't come to lend a hand from a higher, safer position. He lived among the ones he came to save. He was no different in his life than they. He tended to the needs of the forgotten with h...

  Jesus' last week of his life in first-century, Roman occupied Jerusalem was not a good one.  Jesus met with scandal, pressure from opponents, misunderstanding, a hasty nighttime trial, beating, humiliation, and a grueling death. He was among friends who misunderstood him, and worse, some of his closest friends turned on him.  Peter denied knowing Jesus. Judas betrayed him. In the gospel of Luke, the two events happen side-by-side, first Judas, then Peter.  Judas pretends closeness with Jesus, greeting him with a kiss. Peter stays at a distance, unsure of whether he wants to be associated with Jesus or not. Some people think Judas' offense was worse. He handed Jesus over to be crucified. Well, Peter played the coward. Judas, it seems, misunderstood Jesus and made a poor judgment call that merely helped out events that were already in motion. Peter simply cowered out of selfish fear. However you evaluate their actions, they both turned their backs on and abandoned t...

  During Jesus' final days in all of the gospels, he warns his disciples about earthly political and physical turmoil.  "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars...nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom..." (Matthew 24:6-7 / Mark 13:7-8) "...there will be earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues (pandemics)...." (Luke 21:11) This is interesting because most earthly kings in Jesus' context were pronounced "king" and given the mantle of authority because  they had brought political and national peace. They conquered. They brought war to an end. Wars and conflict were no longer something to fear, at least for the ruling kingdom. And if they truly were appointed by God's authority, then the God/Gods would honor them and not allow things like earthquakes, storms, famines, or sickly plagues.  If the ruler couldn't secure peace politically and nationally, then they weren't worthy of the title or the job. If ...

  During Jesus’ last week, several things unfold that the gospel writers use to illustrate significant things about Jesus and what he was about. One of these is the anointing of Jesus. You can read it in Matthew 26:6-13 . The story goes that Jesus was at a dinner party, enjoying company of his friends and others. Sometime during the course of the meal a woman shows up and pours a jar of expensive perfume oil on Jesus’ head.  It’s a slightly strange scene if you’re not familiar with the context. First of all, pouring oil on one's head wasn’t all that strange in the first century. Using oil on one’s head was a thing of hygiene or cleanliness. There wasn’t the convenience of showering daily with a nice botanical shampoo. Oil was the way to keep clean and fresh. Now, especially in the Jewish community, pouring oil on someone’s head was a reminder of the anointing of kings and priests – significant leaders appointed by God. This is what Matthew has in mind. This isn’t just ...