Reflections on the story of Jesus' response to the challenge-question: which is the greatest commandment.  He gets the answer right, but it's an easy one -- unless living under Roman occupation and with massive poverty all around made it harder.  The story is in Mark 12:28— 34.

The text version is at my blog site  

Video will be available at the YouTube channel of the Central Presbyterian Church, Fort Smith, AR (after the Sunday service) on the "Traditional Services" playlist.

Using the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well from John's version of the Jesus-story, we explore the conundrum that Jesus was all about diversity, as obviously the Creator-God is too, but that we humans, and especially we Christians have historically had a miserable time with it.  Why?  What can we do about it?  That's what I'm exploring here.  

The text can be found at my blog site.

Video is available at the YouTube channel of the Central Presbyterian Church in Fort Smith, AR. (after the Sunday service)

What does it mean to forgive (and what does it NOT mean?). Reflections on Jesus' "challenge parable" of the "unmerciful servant" provoke many questions: what is God like?  Can we forgive even if we want to?   What happens to justice if we do?

Text is here.

Video is here at the YouTube channel of the Central Presbyterian Church, Fort Smith, AR. (available after the Sunday service)

Jesus had a lot to say about the poor: but was he political?  Should religion mix with politics?  What does the bible show?  These are part of our reflections on Jesus' famous parable of the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25:31-40.  

The Text is at my blog site.  

Video is here at the YouTube channel of the Central Presbyterian Church, Fort Smith, AR (after the Sunday service)

Climate change: what is the story we are telling ourselves?  A horror story?  Probably.  Is that the only story we should be telling?  What if we told a love story instead?  My reflections, in light of the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and Matthew 22:34-40 in which Jesus reflects on the twin "greatest" commandments: Love of God and neighbor.

The text is here. 

Video is here (at the YouTube channel of the Central Presbyterian Church, Fort Smith, AR, after the Sunday service)

"You can't make me!" -- the ego speech of 4 year olds, combined with the "us" vs. "them" ethics of tribalism may well destroy us and our planet unless we overcome them.  We can overcome them, but will we?  Thoughts inspired by the high-minded ethics displayed in Ephesians 4:25–5:2.

The Text can be found at my blog site.

The video will be available after the Sunday Service at the YouTube channel of the Central Presbyterian Church in Fort Smith, AR. 

Why do people suffer? Is God punishing them? This famous story of David's rape of Bathsheba and murder of her husband in 2 Samuel 11:1-15 is an example of why that cannot be true.  Jesus too came to the conclusion.  That's what this reflection is about.  The text is at my blog site.  The video is available (after the Sunday Service) at the YouTube channel of the Central Presbyterian Church in Fort Smith, AR. 

I take the stories of Jesus mostly as metaphors.  The story of Jesus walking on the water in Mark 6:30-56 is a good example.  It's a sea-crossing story.  The crossings are not literal, but ideological: from one world to another.  Following Jesus, according to Mark, is all about being willing to do the difficult task of crossing borders to people on the "other side" - religiously, ethnically, racially, in terms of sexual orientation, or politically.  It's always hard -- there are always headwinds, but when the borders are crossed, healing happens: reconciliation.  The text is at my blog site.  The video is up at the YouTube channel of the Central Presbyterian Church in Fort Smith, AR.

Reflections on the famous story of the dance of "Salome" which led to the beheading of John the Baptist by Herod (Antipas) -- a story told with cynical satire, against the abuse of power by the elite.  It provokes reflections on the relationship between religion and politics.  The story is found in the Gospel of Mark, 6:14-29.  The video will be at Central Presbyterian Church, Fort Smith, AR's YouTube channel sometime after the Sunday service.  The text is on my blog site.

Reflections on the high standards that we all pay lip service to, for our country, but which we have not successfully achieved for all people -- just like Israel did not live up to it's high standards.  Reflection include considering the high calling Jesus set for as "the kingdom of God" and how that