Category: Uncategorized
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An Unknown God
Acts 17:22-31 – 5/10/2026 – Sixth Sunday of Easter What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. Acts 17:23 Paul’s appeal to the Athenians to follow Jesus is unlike any of the other recorded words of Paul, either in his epistles or in the book of Acts. Instead of starting from the…
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The Paradox of Presence
John 14:27-29 – 5/9/2026 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ John 14:28 (NRSVue) Jesus is no longer with us in the flesh, as a living, breathing, embodied, in the room, person. We are not in the position of the original disciples. We cannot simply ask…
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Throw Your Excess Overboard
Acts 27:13-38 – 5/8/2026 After they had satisfied their hunger, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea. Acts 27:38 (NRSVue) Today’s New Testament Lectionary reading tells of Paul’s perilous sea voyage around the Island of Crete on his way to Rome to stand in judgment before the Emperor. As the ship…
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The Weakness of a God with Regrets
Genesis 6:5-22 – 5/7/2026 The Lord saw that the wickedness of humans was great in the earth and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made humans on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. Genesis 6:5-6 (NRSVue) What…
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The Incompatibility of Wealth and Wisdom
Proverbs 3:13-18 – 5/6/2026 Happy are those who find wisdomand those who get understanding,for her income is better than silverand her revenue better than gold. Proverbs 3:13-14 (NRSVue) Hoarded wealth is evil, on this the communist and the Christian are in agreement. The reason the accumulation of wealth is evil is usually understood to be…
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The Weight of Choice and Knowing how to live
Proverbs 3:5-12 – 5/5/2026 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,and do not rely on your own insight. Proverbs 3:5 (NRSVue) For the Lutheran and indeed for the Christian, we are to rely on God’s will and wisdom as superior and more conducive to flourishing than our own fallen human wisdom. We lack the…
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Why Jesus?
by Justin Marquis Last week I was asked by an old friend, “Why Jesus?” regarding my return to a life of faith. This is an unsurprising question given my past rejection of Christianity and the Church. I have attempted to answer this question before, but that answer was just as provisional as this one. What…
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Reflections on a Summer of Biking America
by Justin Marquis You can see pictures from the tour here. In May 2020, less than two months into the COVID-19 pandemic, my companion and I did our first bike tour together, a 300 mile ride across Ohio from Cincinnati to Cleveland. We were told to avoid physical contact with others to avoid spreading the…
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The Trails are Empty. Where is everyone?
by Justin Marquis I am beyond grateful that my companion Zyzzy is out here on the bike trail with me. If she weren’t here by my side, this bike tour would be a lonely experience. Long distance biking is such a joy and brings so much healing and beauty to my life, I always expect…
Dionysus on a Bike 