Month: July 2023

He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it [Genesis 28:11-12]. I had “the dream” again the other night. I’ve had it off and on for at least 40 years. I’m scheduled either to preach at an unfamiliar church or to give the keynote at a gathering of attorneys and insurance…

Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, …. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear” [Matthew 13:3a, 8-9, New International Version]. Some five or six years ago, Jane and I had a crazy idea. We’d grow a few tomato plants and perhaps a few squash in an allocated portion of a community garden. A couple of green thumb friends agreed to help. Our plot was the size of a two-person grave site. By the end…

He replied, “The LORD, before whom I have walked faithfully, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family” [Genesis 24:40, New International Version]. Genesis 24 has 67 verses. That’s too many, of course, for a typical Old Testament lesson for Sunday worship. If we were to read the entire chapter, plus some of the other readings appointed for this week, we’d be late for brunch or lunch. And so, the Lectionary committee decided to hit the highlights of the extended Chapter 24— “Isaac gets a wife” —story…