Luke 18:1-8 Dear Partner in Preaching, Where has the persistent widow showed up in your life? Or, maybe better, who has been the persistent widow in your life? Perhaps it was an advocate for LGBT inclusion, motivated by the love of a gay son or daughter who is always pushing you to move your congregation to a more inclusive welcome sooner than you – charged with keeping the congregation together and therefore leery of divisive issues – were ready. Or maybe it’s the parent of a special-needs kid, asking – and, honestly, it probably feels more like demanding – more accommodation for his or her child than your congregation...

Luke 16:19-31 A brief note: Pardon sharing this one again, Dear Partner. Time is/has been/will be short, and I’ve heard from a few of you that it’s hard to find earlier pieces, so I’ll repost the column of three years ago. For what it’s worth, I find this angle even more compelling three years later and back in the parish. I hope it’s helpful, and thank you for your good and faithful work! Dear Partner in Preaching, Do you ever wonder if Luke had ever heard about justification by grace? I mean, tradition tells us that he was a traveling companion of the Apostle Paul’s but, if so, it’s hard to know just how...