Who Is My Audience? READ Matthew 23:1-12 “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.” Matthew 23:5 Jewish men in the time of Jesus wore teffilin when they prayed: boxes that were attached to one’s left…

One of the many things I loved about Irvine Presbyterian Church was the diversity of our worship. Two of our Sunday morning services featured a wonderful choir with music in a more traditional vein, as well as more contemporary praise music. Our Sunday evening Evensong service included traditional anthems and selections from the Book of…

Though I’m still on vacation, I just returned to civilization from several days camping in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. One of the highlights of this trip was a fantastic hike to Dinkey Lakes. It was the first time I’ve done this hike, which has entered my “top five all-time hikes” list. Others on…

Hiding in the Den of Thieves READ Matthew 21:12-13 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” Matthew 21:13 As Jesus entered Jerusalem to cries of “Hosanna,” the crowd had high hopes for him. Surely, if he…

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