4.25.22: 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 […]
5.20.22: John 11:25-26 Why is it Easter?
John 11:25-26 Why is it Easter? ——– Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” ——– It is spring, and that means it HAS to be Easter. If Easter […]
4.19.22: John 20:1 What is Easter?
John 20:1 What is Easter? ——– Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. ——– We all know what Easter is, right? But why do we have all these Easter bunnies and eggs […]
4.18.22: John 20:1 When is Easter?
John 20:1 When is Easter? ——- Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. ——– You probably know that the date of Easter floats–it is never the same date two years in a […]
4.14.22: 1 Corinthians 11 (First Nations Version, Terry M. Wildman) Your Table is Too Small
1 Corinthians 11 (First Nations Version, Terry M. Wildman) Your Table is Too Small ——– This is the sacred tradition that came from our Honored Chief, a tradition that I have received and passed on to you: On the night that Creator Sets Free (Jesus) our Honored Chief was betrayed, he took some frybread. He […]
4.13.22: Psalm 35: GOTCHA!
Psalm 35: GOTCHA! ——– Do not let those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; do not let those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye. They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land. They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha! […]
4.12.22: John 19: Completely God, Completely Human
John 19: Completely God, Completely Human ——— 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.” ——– As he gave his own life, Jesus paused to look after his mom. It is a […]
4.11.22: Isaiah 35: Redeeming our Tears
Isaiah 35: Redeeming our Tears ——— 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. […]
4.7.22: Exodus 3: Sacred Stories, TODAY!
Exodus 3: Sacred Stories, TODAY! ——– 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.’” ——– The great “I AM” is never in the past tense. God did not say, “Hey, y’all remember how we used to do […]
4.6.22: Deuteronomy 5: 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, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. ——— There are many […]
4.5.22: Luke 6: 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. ——– A common Native belief is that we make […]
4.4.22: Matthew 25: Small Acts of Kindness
Matthew 25: Small Acts of Kindness ——— I was hungry and you fed me. ——— From 1831 to 1833 the Choctaw were forced from their homelands in the Deep South to a reservation in Oklahoma. It was impossible to recreate their traditional ways of life in Oklahoma, and difficult to create any sort of prosperity. […]
3.31.22: 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.” ——— You must be born again–born from above–born of God. Those words are familiar […]
3.30.22: 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 […]
3.29.22: Luke 18–Telling the Story
Luke 18–Telling the Story ——– Then Jesus told them a story to teach them. ——– Jesus loved telling stories. So do I. Maybe that puts me in good company. Many of Jesus’ stories feature tricksters. They guy who was going to tear down his barn to build a bigger one tricked himself out of a […]
3.28.22: Matthew 4: Leading by Example
Matthew 4: Leading by Example ——– “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. ——– In 1491 there were no schools in America, but that doesn’t mean there was no education. Children learned by watching and imitating. They learned […]
3.17.22: March 17: Breastplate of St Patrick
March 17: Breastplate of St Patrick ——– St Patrick was one of the greatest evangelists in history. His work changed the history of Ireland–and the world. Along the way he received countless death threats. This prayer was his shield of protection ——– Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ […]
3.16.22: John 10 Warriors Standing in the Gap
John 10 Warriors Standing in the Gap ——— Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come […]
3.15.22: Matthew 15–The Words You Speak
Matthew 15–The Words You Speak ——– Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” ——– There is great power in the spoken word. In the beginning, God spoke the word of […]
3.14.22: Psalm 8–Happy pi day!
Psalm 8–Happy pi day! ——– Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what are women and men that you are mindful […]
3.10.22: Isaiah 40: On Wings of Eagles
Isaiah 40: On Wings of Eagles ——– Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the […]
3.9.22: Luke 4–Shopping Cart Spirituality
Luke 4–Shopping Cart Spirituality ——- Jesus ate nothing during those 40 days, and at the end of them he was hungry. ——- These days all the cool folks want to be spiritual but not religious. People push their mystic buggy around the aisles of spirituality and choose whatever looks appealing. “I’ll take a little Tantric […]
3.8.22: Mark 1–Going to Water
Mark 1–Going to Water ——– At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ——– John came preaching a baptism of repentance. That doesn’t mean guilt and remorse. “Repent,” means to turn and go in a new direction. John was inviting people to leave the past behind […]
3.7.22: Mark 1: On the Shoulders of Ancestors
Mark 1: On the Shoulders of Ancestors ——– The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”— “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for […]