Author: Lowell Grisham

Eliphaz throws the Book at Job and only adds to Job’s suffering.

The gospel story offers a challenging and competing paradigm to the claims of power and money.

Sincere and conscientious people search the Bible and come to conflicting opinions

God is lovable in himself, and gives himself to us as the object of our love. He desires that our love for him should bring us happiness, and not be arid or barren. His love for us opens up inside us the way to love, it is the reward of our own reaching out in love. How gently he leads us in love’s way, how generously he returns the love we give, how sweet he is to those who wait for him!

This is the kind of story oppressed people tell to restore a bit of pride to their people. It’s the kind of story that inspires courage for resistance. It’s the kind of story that plants seeds to grow freedom fighters. It’s the kind of story that can create a new generation of heroes — or terrorists

Dame Julian of Norwich (died c.1416) has a lovely revelation of the experience of God’s love for all humanity revealed through Christ’s particular love for Mary

But Peter and the apostles answered (the high priest and council), “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” (Acts 5:29)

Peter and the apostles are engaging in civil disobedience…

Nicodemus is a good patron for all of us who are basically good, conscientious, and competent people. Those of us who follow the rules and seem to do okay. We are respectful and respected people who have accomplished a degree of success. But when you have done what you are supposed to do and established a sound reputation and degree of prosperity, sometimes there is a nagging sense of incompletion, “Is that all there is?”

To thank God for something is to acknowledge God as its source. The blessing is also a form of consecration. For anything that is blessed is consecrated.