Easter is the celebration of all celebrations! Jesus Christ has conquered sin and death and is raised to life. The resurrection of Jesus is not some legend that has been passed down through the ages meant to give us an excuse for another holiday. In Easter we see the...
Mary His Mother he Easter story runs a mother’s heart through the sewers of what humanity is capable of. Years ago I saw a movie about a man sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. In the days leading to her son’s execution, his helpless...
Joseph of Arimathia ife is a tapestry of so many incredible, extraordinary moments. There are moments that move us, moments that shape us as people, and moments that change the direction of our lives. We celebrate weddings and mourn at funerals. We...
The Roman Soldier e'd lost count of how many crucifixions he’d witnessed. Too many. It wasn’t something a person ever got used to – the visceral brutality of the Roman death penalty ensured it left an impression – but after participating in so many...
Pontius Pilate t the height of the drama of the Easter story you’ll find Pontius Pilate. After Jesus was betrayed by Judas and arrested, he appeared before Pilate who would decide his fate. Each of the Gospel writers records Pilate questioning...
Judas Iscariot t’s not uncommon to celebrate spy stories. The names James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Carmen Sandiego all come to mind. Even in the Bible, we find captivating spy stories like the twelve Israelites (Numbers 13) who are sent to explore...
Mary of Bethany lone young woman in a room full of men approaches Jesus with a box. The box held a perfume so valuable and expensive that it represented this young woman’s total life savings. This box held enough money for her to live comfortably...
The Crowds in Jerusalem The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:“Hosanna!‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’The...
The Power of Pysanka I f asked to name an Easter tradition that began before Christ was born, could you do it? Here’s a hint: in America, the tradition involves a small colored tablet, a splash of white vinegar, and usually, a very fun mess. If you guessed decorating...
Read Psalm 16:8-11 I made a quick grocery run last week. As I dashed through the store, focusing on getting the essentials on my list as quickly as possible while staying six feet away from the other masked shoppers, gigantic wrapped Easter baskets caught my...
Read Isaiah 53:8-9 Plastered in mud from head to toe, I crawled on my hands and knees through the last section of the cave called the Pancake. Eventually, I lowered myself on my stomach and army-crawled the rest of the way out. Walking out of the cave, I...
Read Psalm 22:1 I love the power of words. Even though a single word isn’t enough to tell a story, one word is powerful enough to stir our emotions. Words like forsaken and alone can evoke memories, and those memories create strong emotions. For introverts, the...
Read Genesis 22:8 In 2013 I was part of hike to raise money a non-profit organization that does amazing work. The goal was ambitious - hike 60 miles in 24 hours. I trained for months, invested in equipment, gathered people’s support, recruited friends to join...
Read Zechariah 11:12-13 I’ve never tasted Turkish delight before, but my siblings would be furious if I betrayed them for a box of candy from an evil witch. Though I’ve never made an exchange quite like Edmund in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the...
Read Jeremiah 31:31 I don’t see a lot of movies in the theater. If I do, I typically wait until the movie has been out for a few weeks, find the earliest time available, and stretch out in the theater. The only problem with this plan is the internet, because...
Read Psalm 118:22-24 Three years ago, I found myself standing in Jerusalem near where the temple would have been at the time of Jesus. Only a portion of the retaining wall of temple remains, also known as the Western Wall or Wailing Wall. Jews pray at the wall...
Read Zechariah 9:9 Have you ever witnessed a motorcade? It’s hard to miss. First, the police vehicles arrive with flashing lights and sirens to clear the traffic, then various security vehicles, followed by the official limousine carrying the president, with all the...
Read Ruth 4:4-9 Redemption is one of most compelling themes of a storyline. We see it time and time again in books and movies. A great example of this is the figure of Darth Vader in Star Wars Episodes IV, V, and VI. Over the course of these three films we see...
Read Deuteronomy 18:15-19 When I was six, my Dad took me on my first roller coaster - The Comet at Hershey Park. I was so excited as we buckled into the car and the lap bars dropped. I remember the shudder of the train and the clickety-click sound as we went up...
Read Numbers 21: 6-9 Aww, Spring. The season of spring is one of my favorite times of the year! Everything seems a little bit brighter and a little bit happier. But unfortunately with warmer weather comes bees, wasps and all sorts of flying things. I don’t just...
Read Genesis 3:15 Today, Easter isn’t very violent. Walk into any grocery store and you’ll find lots of pastel colors, plastic eggs and baskets filled with candy to mark the season. I’ll admit, biting the heads off of chocolate covered bunnies and marshmallow chickens...