When last I wrote about the benefits of weekly Bible study groups in congregations, I left out a few thoughts. Here are some of them…. Our group’s Scripture conversations are an extension (or preview) of the proclamation of The Word in weekly worship. Whether based on the lectionary or not, Bible study somehow always connects with what has been (or will be) shared in a Sunday service. ThisMORE...
In a few days, members of Russian Orthodox churches will celebrate Easter. I’ve been trying to imagine how it might feel for them to experience Easter this year. These believers—and Christians of other faith communities—may find themselves in contexts similar to those faced by Jesus’ followers on that first Easter. Those first disciples lived in a country tightly controlled by tyrants andMORE...
From a minor theme in Eastertide, this question, “Who sacrificed their well-being to take care of Jesus’ body?” To say that another way, someone has to pay for the cost of preparing a corpse for burial. In some cultures, the death of a loved one can bring a family into poverty, perhaps made worse when the primary breadwinner has died. In Jesus’ case, Nicodemus paid for the burial site—giving awayMORE...
Easter’s message promises life after death. Loss of life is the entryway to the blessing of new life, and so we consider death as part of the process God offers in the assuring reality of resurrection. The miracle of this gift comforts us when we encounter death. But what if you and I are not yet dead? Holding on to something only resembling life, and hoping for new life? Yearning for normalMORE...
I have no desire to be a starfish. (What would I do with five arms?) But this wonderful sea creature does possess one trait that might be just a bit enviable. Like a number of other astounding organisms—e.g., lizards, salamanders, sea cucumbers—starfish can grow back limbs and other parts of their bodies that have been damaged or severed. The process is called *regeneration and it’s alwaysMORE...
Soon it will be Easter in Ukraine. It’s hard to think much beyond “How can that happen this year?” The country lies in ruins, made desolate by the warring mind of a desperate Russian dictator. Death is strewn across the landscape, in ways that perhaps stagger Ukrainians’ comprehension. “Resurrection’s victory” squeezes into a smaller mindset, perhaps even too small for imagination or hopeMORE...
Easter’s going to be uniquely significant this year. Perhaps that’s especially true for those beloved souls who will find their way back to worship on that Sunday. Sobering global, national or local events will call all of us to consider again what it means to be the people of God in this time and place. It’s likely that Easter worshippers will be especially ready for the Good News that EasterMORE...
Today’s entry offers you some updates about malignant miscreants who want to steal your identity. You may be the recipient of online notes like the following click-baits. First the lures and then their spiritual correctives. YOU HAVE BEEN REWARDED OR AWARDED. You are the surprise recipient of cash (or its equivalent) from a source that seems trustworthy. YOUR SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS ARE ABOUT TOMORE...
BOB SITZE has filled the many years of his lifework in diverse settings around the United States. His calling has included careers as a teacher/principal, church musician, writer/author, denominational executive staff member and meat worker. Bob lives in Wheaton, IL.