~by Jared Osborn We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. (Good Friday anthem from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer p. 281) The cross is the most common symbol of Christianity.  Many churches use a large cross as a focal point in their … More The Beauty of the Cross

~By Mike Floyd One of the challenging aspects of our modern, scientific, world is the sense that it can tend to be a rather cold, factual and impersonal place. Often times we feel that we can use our intelligence and our evaluative skills to define and order all things. This approach has even found its … More The Holy Mystery of Jesus

~By Meg Saunders “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17). “Now in … More God our Redeemer

The heart. The height. The climax. The center. These are all words we use to describe the most critical point of a story, the part that makes up the heart of a faith. And all of these words can be related to Jesus: His life is the center around which the church year revolves. He … More Readings for Week #5

This Sunday [eta: in Western traditions] is called “Rose Sunday,” though it goes by many other names. It marks the half-way point in our Lenten journey, and is a time to rejoice a little extra on Resurrection Day. It’s a time to take stock of where we are with our disciplines, and maybe relax them … More Reflections on Week #4

“And now, Lord, what do I wait for?  My hope is in You” (Psalm 39:7). “‘Comfort, yes, comfort My people!’ says your God.  ‘Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her’ . . . The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a … More Waiting for God

~By Rachel Scibek There have been many times when I feel God is more silent then active in my life. I think the silence of God is often forgotten when reading through the Bible because, well, you’re reading through it. You go from one great story to the next reading of the action that was … More When God is Silent

The Old Testament epic of the people of Israel is one full of ups and downs, victories and defeats, cycling through sin and punishment and redemption. Finally, Israel is so unfaithful that God allows His nation to be defeated by the Babylonians and taken into exile. This really woke Israel up, so to speak – … More Readings for Week #4

As a child and a pre-teen, I was always a bit of a social outcast. Having grown up not much caring about clothes or hairstyles or pop music, I was thrust into the Abercrombie-wearing, Britney-dancing world through the sport of ice skating, where I spent years struggling to fit in. But soon I found a … More Reflections on Clue #3: Judaism and Christianity

Through Israel, Meet the Covenant-Keeping God The story of God’s people, Israel, fascinates me because it is so surprising, and because it tells us so much about God. Through His relationship with Israel in the Old Testament, God introduces himself to humanity as a God who is personal, who keeps promises, and who has had … More The Unexpected Path: