mercy
-
What does forgiveness require—and what does it not require? In Matthew 18:15–35, Jesus brings together honest conversation, accountability, healthy boundaries, reconciliation, and the parable of the unmerciful servant. Peter asks how many times he must forgive. Jesus responds by taking away the ledger. The servant wanted mercy as a benefit but refused to live by…
-
A Pastoral Reflection Do I Know My Neighbor? When someone asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus told a story. Stories have a way of reaching places in us that explanations cannot. They move past our defenses. They settle into memory. They speak to the heart while the mind is still trying to organize the…
-
It was a moment of embarrassment, the kind that wakes you up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night when you dreamt it: Lunch was done; conversation paused, the wait person dropped off the check. It was a reasonable amount. My face did not turn unnaturally white until I reached for my…
-
Swanson, John August. Story of Joseph, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56562 [retrieved February 23, 2025]. Original source: Estate of John August Swanson, https://www.johnaugustswanson.com/. Genesis 45:3–11, New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?”…
-
Tender Love – Reflections on Psalm 103: 1, 13, and 15. Bless the LORD, oh my soul. Like as a father …
Pastor Tom's Community 