Dear Partner in Preaching, Here’s my brief take this vignette from Luke’s larger narrative about the resurrection appearances of Jesus: if you don’t have serious doubts about the Easter story, you’re not paying attention. Seriously. I mean, just read the story. Actually, all of the stories. For while the four gospels have many interesting variations in their account of Jesus’ resurrection, they are absolutely consistent on one thing: no one believes the good news of Jesus’ resurrection when they first hear it. No one. And that includes Jesus’ own disciples, the ones who were closest to him and spent the most time with him. In...

I’ve written a short series of “Leadership Pitfalls” over the last six months, but decided that this one might be better classified as “Life Pitfalls,” because while it certainly is something leaders fall prey to, I think it’s also something to which we are all prone and can sap much of the vitality of the lives we’ve been given as gifts. And this “life pitfall” is quite simple: confusing keeping busy with leading a meaningful life. Actually, I’d go even further and say that we can also confuse getting things done with leading a meaningful life, or even achieving goals and living a well-lived life. This last one is hard...

Dear Partner in Preaching, Here’s my simple contention about this passage: Thomas is not so much a doubter as he is a realist. Think about it. Everything we know about Thomas up to this point suggests that he is forthright, genuine, and even courageous. Way back in chapter 11, for instance, Thomas is the one who urged the disciples to go with Jesus to raise Lazarus even thought it might spell their deaths (Jn. 11:16). And in chapter 14, when Thomas doesn’t understand Jesus’ metaphorical speech about the place he is going to, Thomas calls him on it: “Lord, we do not know where you are going, how then can we know the way.” Thomas, I...