You are not far from the Kingdom

The Widow's Might! How many times have we heard this story about the faithfulness and the example of the widow who gives everything she has? I have heard this, interpreted this, and help in common understanding that Jesus was praising the widow. I didn't like it, felt uncomfortable at times, but she is our standard bearer. Until, until I was on Zoom on Tuesday with pastor's looking at the Narrative Lectionary and realized that Jesus wasn't praising her, but calling out the system for its corruption. If we read today's lead in where Jesus

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Contribute to the needs of God's People

On Aug. 28, 1893, Sen. James Kyle of South Dakota introduced S. 730 to the U.S. Senate to make Labor Day a legal national holiday on the first Monday of September each year. President Grover Cleveland signed the bill on June 28, 1894. By then, a fall holiday called Labor Day was already being observed. Beginning in the late 19th century, parades, picnics and other celebrations took place to support labor issues such as shorter hours, better pay and safer working conditions, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. In introducing the legislation, Kyle said that labor organizations were united in asking that the first Monday of September be set apart as a holiday in order to make the observance uniform. This would result in workers enjoying vacation privileges on the same day, according to the Dec. 1, 1965, issue of “The Wi-Iyohi,” a monthly bulletin published by the South Dakota State Historical Society. Prior to serving as a U.S. Senator, Kyle served as pastor at the Congregati...

Selling Out

Last Fall, I read a book called, "A History of Burning." It is a multi-generational story about a family that migrates from India to Uganda for hopes for a better future to help the British build a railroad, whose children through education secures a government job, but then Uganda throws off their colonial oppressors and gains independence and turns against the Indians who live there, and they have to migrate again and start all over in Toronto, Canada. It is a sad story of colonial power of the British Empire bringing in foreign cheap labor to build their infrastructure that leaves out the local population. And once Uganda gets independence, the corporations still control much of the economy and fosters division between the Ugandans and Indian to keep the country unstable. It is a triumphant story of human determination in the face of adversity, but only a few make it. One of the first paragraphs in a Wikipedia search about Africa told me that Africa is politically unstab...

For They Were Afraid

The Gospel of Mark starts with Jesus' baptism, there is no birthday story, no background, just jumps right in with his baptism, driven into the wilderness to be tempted, proclaims, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand." Plucks Simon and Andrew up which they mend their fishing nets, heals Simon Peter's mother-in-law and she immediately gets up and serves them. (How many times does Mark use immediately?) And the next morning gets up early and while everyone is searching for him, he is heading to the next town. It is like a big movie opening that grabs everyone's attention and it doesn't slow down. Did you ever watch Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail? There was to be this final battle of King Arthur with his forces and the God's blessing and just as the battle commences, modern police show up and arrest everyone and the movie is over and we are left scratching out head, "What just happened?" The end of Mark is just as confusing,...

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