4.16.21: Isaiah 6: Send Me

Isaiah 6: Send Me ——– Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” ——– At times the size and scope of the pandemic just seem overwhelming. What can one person do in the face of such […]

4.15.21: Psalm 139: To the Ends of the Earth, You Are There

Why Do We Still Support Native American Missions? Psalm 139: To the Ends of the Earth, You Are There ——– Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there If I make my bed in the depths, you are there […]

4.14.21: Psalm 150: Praise with Whatever You’ve Got

Psalm 150: Praise with Whatever You’ve Got ——– Praise the Lord! Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet praise him with the harp and lyre Praise him with timbrel and dancing praise him with the strings and pipe Praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has […]

4.13.21: Revelation 8: Prayers Made Visible

Revelation 8: Prayers Made Visible ——– Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went […]

4.12.21: Ezekiel 1: Wheels within Wheels

Ezekiel 1: Wheels within Wheels ——– I saw a huge ball of fire glowing like bronze. Within the fire were four creatures vibrant with life. All four had both faces and wings. In front a human face, on the right side the face of a lion, on the left the face of an ox, and […]

4.8.20: John 20: In Business with Dad

John 20: In Business with Dad ——– Again Jesus said, Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. And with that he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit! If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven– If you do not forgive them, they are not […]

4.7.21: John 20: Beam Me Up!

John 20: Beam Me Up! ——– On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The […]

4.6.21: Isaiah 49: Look Closely

Isaiah 49: Look Closely ——— Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. ——— God loves you with a perfect mother’s love. The Creator […]

4.5.21: John 20: The Scars of Easter

John 20: The Scars of Easter ——– Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. ——– The resurrection of Christ erased the power of death, but it did not erase the scars. Jesus received those scars by loving us so […]

4.1.21: Holy Thursday John 13: A New Commandment

Holy Thursday John 13: A New Commandment ——– Jesus said, “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one […]

3.31.21: Matthew 13: The Little Things

Matthew 13: The Little Things ——— He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the […]

3.30.21: Isaiah 35: Redeeming our Suffering

Isaiah 35: Redeeming our Suffering ——— But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. ——– Hundreds of years before Christ, Isaiah prophesied the Savior would redeem our suffering. For Indians, this is more than pretty words. […]

3.29.21: Holy Week John 19: Very God and Very Man

Holy Week John 19: Very God and Very Man ——— When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” ——– During his own sacrifice, Jesus looks after his mom. It is a powerful […]

3.25.21: Genesis 3: Sacred Stories in the Present Tense

Genesis 3: Sacred Stories in the Present Tense ——– God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” ——– When God set his people free, it was not in the past tense. Yahweh did not say, “Hey, y’all […]

3.24.21: Luke 18: Making Something Good

Luke 18: Making Something Good ——— “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.” ——– Yesterday we talked about the creative partnership between God and human beings in the Garden. It doesn’t stop there. The works of our hands are also part of our spirituality. That adds a lot […]

3.23.21: Genesis 2: Tending the Garden

Genesis 2: Tending the Garden ——– The Lord God put the human being in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. ——– When you think of Indians—REAL Indians—what do you see? Most of us imagine bare chested warriors on painted ponies, chasing buffalo across the great planes. The truth is […]

3.22.21: Romans 12: All My Relations

Romans 12: All My Relations ——– In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ——– The Lakota have a traditional saying: mitakuye-oyasin—all my relations. It’s a phrase that says all life is interconnected, and we all need that connection. Native people all over America have adopted those […]

3.18.21: Giveaway!

Luke 6: Giveaway! ——– If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. ——– Native people believe that we make ourselves sick […]

3.17.21: The Breastplate of St. Patrick

The Breastplate of St Patrick ——— St Patrick was one of the greatest evangelists in the history of the church. In his time, soldiers carved symbols on their shields for protection. The threats to Patrick’s life were real, but this prayer was his shield. ——— I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of […]

3.16.21: Touching 7 Generations

Deuteronomy 5: Touching 7 Generations ——– I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. ——— There are […]

3.15.21: Small Acts of Kindness

Matthew 25: Small Acts of Kindness ——— I was hungry and you fed me. ——— In the Appalachian region that I call home, an entirely new culture grew out of a mix of African, European, and Native cultures. The Celts—Scots, Irish, Welsh, and others—often got on very well with America’s First Nations. There were lots […]

3.11.21: Luke 18–Trickster Stories

Luke 18–Trickster Stories Then Jesus told them a story to teach them. ——– Jesus came from a long line of story tellers. So do I. Maybe that puts me in good company. In my family, we always called it swappin’ lies. But that doesn’t mean our stories were not true. A good story teller never […]

3.10.21: Jeremiah 22: In covenant with the land

Jeremiah 22: In covenant with the land ——— O land, land, land, hear the word of the Lord! ——– The prophets of Israel often call upon the land to testify. They understood God’s people were in covenant with God’s land. When the covenant was broken there was no peace–no balance–no shalom. When the covenant was […]

3.9.21: John 3: Born Again–The Womb of God

John 3: Born Again–The Womb of God ——— Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again… You should not be surprised at my saying you must be born again.” ——— Being born again is—without question—a feminine metaphor. Jesus invited the crusty old professor […]