“When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.” — Acts 27:1-2 In Acts 27, we follow Paul as a prisoner. He's awaiting trial and has appealed to Caesar as a Roman citizen, so he's put on a ship bound for Italy. That's when things stop going according to plan. “Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Da

I grew up watching The X-Files, so you must forgive me if I have an unusual interest in “little green men” from outer space. When I was working on my undergraduate degree in astrophysics twenty years ago, I was always fascinated by the chapters at the end of the astronomy textbooks with titles like “Astrobiology” or “The Search for Life.” At that time, astronomers were finding the first observable evidence of planets beyond our own solar system. There were fewer than 80 verif

Why Easter? Isn't Easter pagan or something? Aren't we supposed to remember Jesus every week? Is the devil trying to brainwash my kids with chocolate rabbits and marshmallow Peeps? As a minister, I get those questions every year, and I'll admit that I used to spend a lot of time worried about it myself. Let me share a few details that might clarify things. Be warned! A nerdy deep-dive is ahead! The logic of celebrating any day as special from another is the same as celebratin

The cross invites us to slow down, observe, and remember. It is easy to rush past Good Friday. We look ahead to Sunday, to joy, hope and the empty tomb. Yet before we get there, we are meant to pause, stand still, and listen. The final words of Jesus on the cross cause us to stop and observe who he is. They are simple, but they are full of meaning. They show us not just who he is, but what he came to do. Jesus Offered Forgiveness “Father, forgive them, for they know not what

On Thursday of Holy Week, Jesus ate the Passover meal with his disciples. They gathered together in an upper room to share one of the ancient Jewish feasts called The Passover. When they arrived, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, even Judas Iscariot, who would betray him a few hours later. In what we now call the "Last Supper," Jesus gave his final message to his disciples, parting thoughts for his inner circle. After the meal, they went to the Garden of Gethsemane to

They call it Silent Wednesday, because after a flurry of activity, Jesus does nothing of interest on the Wednesday of Holy Week. He had made three consecutive trips to the Temple to provoke the leadership. First on Sunday, he went to the Temple as the grand marshal of a triumphant parade. On Monday, he returned as a passionate reformer, overturning tables and making room for the poor and the lame where once there had only been commerce and greed. Tuesday had been the day of r

Lent and Advent are two of my favorite times of the year because we have such a rich heritage of Christian hymns regarding Jesus’ birth and the atoning sacrifice of his blood. I’ve written posts about Lenten hymns before, but this year I wanted to draw your attention to a few texts that may be unfamiliar to you. Lenten hymns that have stood the test of time have a rare beauty about them. Their texts and tunes are matched so well that publishers have married them for posterity

“They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Blessed is the king of Israel!’” – John 12:13 NIV Have you ever been so sure you knew what you needed, only to realize it wasn’t what you needed at all? That’s exactly what happened on Palm Sunday. A crowd gathered, filled with hope and anticipation. They waved palm branches, shouting “Hosanna,” and welcoming Jesus as their long-awaited King. In their