21st Sunday After Pentecost

A Malicious Question, A Healing Answer

By Scott Dewey | October 20, 2023 |

I’ve heard it said that the Bible is “God’s Answer Book.” Some people must find that to be true, but it’s hard to see how. Among the Bibles I own, a few have sections in the back that serve as FAQs (frequently asked questions) plus answers. That’s handy, but they’re modern add-ons.

Singing Zacchaeus

By Joel Kiekintveld | October 28, 2022 |

In the summer of 2005 my wife said to me, “If our church is going to keep talking about reaching out to Dimond Estates, someone ought to live there. I think we should sell our house and move into the trailer park.” My response was, “Why would I sell a perfectly good house and move into a trailer? Don’t ever talk to me about this again!” In the end, after a lot more discussion, we moved into a doublewide in Dimond Estates in 2006.

A Different Kind of Power

By Lina Thompson | October 15, 2021 |

One has to admire James and John’s audacity, as misguided as it was. But it appears they had either forgotten, or missed, what Jesus had already told them about the nature of power and where it resides. I empathize with them. I get it. They probably felt justified in their request.

The Emperor’s Coin

By Lina Thompson | October 16, 2020 |

My sister does this funny thing before she asks you for a favor. She says, “I’m going to ask you something, but I want you to know that it’s a…

Hospitality Inverted

By Joel Van Dyke | November 1, 2019 |

There is a parade of attention around the celebrity Jesus as he passes through Jericho. The eyes of the crowd are riveted in the desire to get a glimpse of the great miracle worker and social (not yet media) influencer.

Under The Table

By Ojii BaBa Madi | October 19, 2018 |

I currently spend my days assisting staff at a nearby elementary school. Our team gets the call when students have serious issues with behavior or cooperation. This week, I was summoned to a normally tranquil kindergarten class, where a five-year-old was out of his seat, hiding in plain sight behind a giant smart board.

Images is Everything

By Kris Rocke | October 20, 2017 |

In this week’s text the religious leaders are trying to trap Jesus with a question about whether Jews should pay taxes to Caesar. But this isn’t really a question about taxes. It’s more sinister.

Zacchaeus: A Wee Little Man Was He (Not)

By Joel Van Dyke | October 28, 2016 |

This week’s Gospel text is a narrative some people grew up singing in Sunday School: “Zacchaeus was a wee, little man, and a wee, little man was he. He climbed…

Brigands of the Lord

By Kris Rocke | October 16, 2015 |

Three dimensions in a two-dimensional world.

Un-Beautiful Questions

By Scott Dewey | October 17, 2014 |

At Street Psalms we’ve grown to love “beautiful questions.” They provide doorways to freedom and life.

Unfortunately un-beautiful questions abound as well. These questions prove to be traps – luring us to small, confining spaces with doors that snap shut.

How very crucial to discern the difference!