II Samuel 1:1,17-27 David’s moving and eloquent lament over the death of the King, Saul, and his eldest son, Jonathan, expresses national and personal loss.  He is filled with shame and outrage over the defeat of Israel and the image … Continue reading →

I Samuel 17:(1a,4-11,19-23),32-49 Just with a slingshot, David slays the huge, well-armed Goliath, who is vividly described as falling “face down on the earth.”  In another memorable image, the slim, youthful David is swamped in King Saul’s armor,  which he … Continue reading →

I Samuel 15:34-16:13 David is introduced into Israel’s grand narrative of her relationship with the God of Abraham/Sarah and Moses.  The Lord’s strong emotional commitment to Israel is on full display.  The Lord regrets having made Saul the first King … Continue reading →

I Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11: 14-15) The elders approach Samuel with a request: because you are old and your sons are not trustworthy, “appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.”  Samuel prays to the … Continue reading →

I Samuel 3: 1-10, [11-20] In those days, “visions were not widespread.”   Samuel, the young follower of the old priest Eli is lying down next to the Ark of the Covenant in the Temple where “the lamp of the … Continue reading →

Isaiah 6:1-8 Isaiah describes his call to be a prophet for God.  The experience is so powerful it produced a vision of heaven, yet so personal he felt it on his lips.  The role of a prophet as a troublemaker … Continue reading →

The Great Fifty Days of Easter reach their climax today.  The same group of women and men who had cowered in fear and denied and betrayed Jesus have now become bold and effective witnesses.  What has transformed them?  The events … Continue reading →

Acts of the Apostles 1:15-17,21-26 After the ascension of Christ and before the feast of Pentecost, Luke provides in another sermon, this time before 120 “friends,” an explanation of the fate of Judas.  The role and fate of Judas, he … Continue reading →

Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11 The story told in Luke’s Gospel and continuing through his Acts of the Apostles begins in the Temple in Jerusalem and ends in Rome.  It starts with concerns uniquely important to God’s people, the Jews, … Continue reading →

Acts of the Apostles 10:44-48 In the majestic narrative of Luke-Acts, the appearance of the Holy Spirit always marks a pivotal turn in the story.  As the testimony to the life/death/resurrection of Jesus spread to non-Jews through the preaching of … Continue reading →