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The English word gentle is the Greek word praotes in Ephesians 4:2. Paul used praotes to communicate that a Christian is a person who is mild in temperament or behavior, a person who is kind or tender to other people, a person who is never harsh or severe to another person.

The Smith’s handsome young son, who had been our music leader, married and moved away. He and his wife were killed in an automobile accident within the year. I came home from Fort Worth to find a dad struck silent by grief and a mother shrieking uncontrollably.

Today marks our fifth Sunday in the book of Judges and we are still not having fun! A couple of weeks ago someone in my Sunday School class asked, “When do we get to the positive part?”

How did this “Obadiah” make it into the canon of Scripture? Twenty-three verses of anger shouted at the Edomites hardly seem edifying to a person desiring to grow in faith. Perhaps the text pushes us to face the tragedies and hard questions of life.

Because the Bible is about life, people and God, it includes tragedy and joy, failure and hope, and the powerful reminder that neither fate nor circumstance is the master of creation. Hence we have a story like Jephthah’s to remind us not to reshape God to fit our preferences or motivations.

In our current economy few people are guaranteed “a sure thing.” The economy can falter and a secure job this year may not be so secure next year. All these reasons can motivate us to earn and build as large a personal nest egg as possible to protect against potential failures. The Bible teaches us to have the right perspective on money and its use in our daily life.

From the ocean’s depths to the views from space, our world offers beautiful scenes, diversity of life and jaw-dropping sights. At first we could only communicate these sights by words and stories, but technology advances have added images and color, sound and movement. 

Now, there's virtual reality

When reading scripture, two things always surprise me: first, that God keeps offering us grace when we mess up and, second, that God’s way is beyond our expectations.

Interpreters of this section of Jesus’ teachings often divide it into The Two Ways (13-14); The Two Trees, sometimes called Two Kinds of Religious Leaders (15-23); and The Two Houses (24-27). Overall, some name the whole section The Great Invitation, since these verses invite persons to accept one or more pathways to life.

Today's story is not a bedtime tale for little children. No sweet dreams here! It would make an “R” rated movie.