Seems like an easy question, but here’s why I ask. The story of the Prodigal Son – which, along with that of the Good Samaritan – is probably the most famous of  Jesus’ parables. And it’s the reading this Sunday in those churches that use the Revised Common Lectionary, which means that a lot of preachers will be asking just this question. Before answering it, it may help to set the parable in context: Jesus has been preaching, teaching, healing and more to the delight of some and to the consternation of others. Luke captures the general goings-on of this part of Jesus’ ministry in the verses that set the stage for the...

Cardinals from around the world go into conclave today in Rome to choose the next Pope, which means that starting this evening [sometime soon] we will receive reports about whether black smoke or white issues from the chimney of the Vatican. Curious about how all that works? Me too! So I tuned in for a typically informative and fast-paced four-minute guide from the good folks at Busted Halo to find out how the Roman Catholic church chooses it’s spiritual leader. I found it quite helpful and help you do too. Quick note: Misreading a news report late last week, I got the start of the papal conclave totally wrong, as several helpful...

A few weeks ago we had a great discussion about prayer. What it is, what we believe about it, what we don’t understand, what we do, how we practice it, and more. I learned a lot from it and am still mulling it over. Shortly after that, I came upon this interview with Richard Rohr. Richard is a Franciscan monk and author of numerous books, including the recent Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life and Immortal Diamond: The Search for Our True Self. I really appreciated Richard’s view that prayer can be anything – anything done in a state of communion and connection. Communion and connection with God, with others, and...

Two more Bible Story Jam videos. The first on Luke 10:25-37, and the second on Luke 13:1-9, 31-35. Actually, not just two more, but the two last…at least for a while. We’ve had great fun doing these Bible Story Jams – you can learn more about the original idea and how we went about making them at an earlier post – and we hope others were inspired to practice reading and talking about biblical stories. Our hope all along is that we take the Bible off the altar, so to speak, and put it in the hands of everyday Christians, and we’ve been encouraged by the response. But for now, each of us has some other work we need to get to. We...

Another great video by the folks at Busted Halo, this time explaining in a little over two minutes the meaning of, and some of the customs around, Ash Wednesday and Lent. Protestants will note the occasional different in practice, but overall this is a great little tutorial and refresher done with the enthusiasm and creativity we’ve come to associate with the Busted Halo crowd. Enjoy. Note: If you are receiving this post by email, you may need to click here to watch the...