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  James 3:13-18 Click here to listen to today’s devotional After the English Civil War of the 17th century, some leaders in the Church of England were tired of the endless theological battles. Some of them became known as Latitudinarians. Their name came because they argued for a little more latitude or room to choose in matters that weren't essential. They believed Christians could disagree on many secondary issues while remaining united in faith. They valued reason, moderation, and charity over the constant conflict that had brought about so much turmoil. While I'm still learning more about their movement, I find myself admiring their desire. The church today still spends a lot of energy arguing about issues that, while important, often turn into a desire to win debates rather than love neighbors. The Latitudinarians remind me that a gentle spirit often bears more witness than a loud opinion. But their movement also had weaknesses. In prioritizing reason and tolerance, they s...

  1 Peter 3:8-12 Listen to today’s devotional Many of us recognize that much of life today is shaped by suspicion and hostility. Of course, division is not new, but social media and constant online connection have made it impossible to ignore. Political disagreements, once seen as a normal part of life together, now often turn into contempt. Families avoid hard conversations just to keep the peace. Churches divide over politics and culture. News and social media fill our days with outrage, fear, and conflict. We are constantly pushed to see other people not as neighbors but as enemies to be defeated, mocked, or feared. Over time, this changes the way we see one another, as division becomes a habit of the heart rather than just disagreement. We stop listening. We stop showing compassion. We forget the humanity of the people around us. And much of our world encourages this way of living. Outrage keeps people watching. Fear keeps people angry. Social media algorithms feed us more of w...

  Genesis 9:8-17 Listen to today’s devotional Recently, someone shared a video series with me about two sisters who defected from North Korea. The video I watched chronicles their visit to a small town in Texas, a town where I used to live. As they drove around, they noticed a lot that any of us would. At one point, though, one of the sisters said something I would not have thought much about. They could not help but notice how different all the houses looked. Back home, they were used to uniformity. Narrating their new experience, one of the sisters quietly explained the difference by saying, "Difference was just scenery." The rainbow in Genesis 9 is more than a beautiful image in the sky. The Genesis story says it serves as a reminder of God's covenant. I'll take that, and I'll also take it as a sign that God delights in a world full of color, variety, and life. After the flood, God did not build creation as a gray and identical place. God makes the covenant wit...

  1 Peter 2:1-3 Listen to today’s devotional There's an old question that pops up from time to time: "Can I be a Christian and not go to church?" Now, I assume there are good intentions behind the asking. So, here's my typical response. It's totally possible for someone to do Christ-like things and even be Christ-like on their own. But it is impossible to live the life that Jesus proclaimed and that the Bible portrays without the church. Can I go sailing without a sail? Well, you can float around, taking in the view. But you won't move forward how you’re supposed to without the wind in your sails. To be sure, the Spirit is the wind in the church's sail. And without the church, we're barely even in the water. That's not anything I haven't said or preached before. But I saw it again in today's reading. Notice the examples that Peter uses in this quick verse about growing into salvation. He says to get rid of malice, guile, insincerity, envy, ...

  Galatians 2:7-10 Listen to today's devotional Contentious church meetings are nothing new. In Galatians 2:1–10, Paul describes one such gathering he had in Jerusalem that enabled the church to be what God wanted it to be. Imagine the hard conversations around the issue. Essentially, it's a matter of who's in and who's out. After their conversations, Paul convinces the leaders in Jerusalem that God has entrusted different callings to different people. Peter was sent to the circumcised to profess Jesus as Lord. Paul was sent to the Gentiles for the same reason. Notice how this meeting ends. After all the theological wrestling, James and Cephas and John gave Paul and Barnabas "the right hand of fellowship." They didn't begrudgingly allow Paul's mission to continue. They joined in fellowship with them. Different missions, but the same gospel. That is, of course, an important part of understanding the church's call to spread the gospel of Jesus. But t...

  Micah 6:6-8 Listen to today's devotional I always appreciate taking part in the MLK march and prayer service each year. My favorite part comes when the march ends and we finish in worship, entering the sanctuary to sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Every time I sing that song, I remember a couple of things. I see Ms. Joy Turner, my elementary school choir director. In the third and fourth grade, do-re-mi didn’t interest me much, but I could tell something was different about that song. And I didn’t understand then that she wasn’t just teaching us how to sing. She was actually teaching us how to pray, showing us that lifting our voices together could be an act of hope and dignity. Another memory comes from Grandma. I was in high school, sitting at her house, when she called me over. I don't remember if it was something we were watching or just a conversation that got her thinking. But she looked at me and said, “Mijo, don’t forget that what they did to them, they did to us, to...

  Psalm 117 Listen to today's devotional It's easy to see how divided our world can be. People separate themselves into categories, labels, and sides. We draw lines that distinguish ourselves from others in subtle and bold ways. And then we defend those lines with all our strength. So, let's reflect on something God desires for our world. Listen again to the psalmist say, "Praise the Lord, all you nations! Worship him, all you people!" Everyone is included in the call to worship. This short psalm refuses to let us shrivel God down to fit inside our boundaries. We can't read it and assume God’s love is only for people who look like us, think like us, vote like us, worship like us, or agree with us. Instead, it widens the circle until we can’t see the edges anymore. Recently, Pope Leo XIV released an apostolic letter titled "In the Unity of Faith" to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. He emphasized that the creed isn't ju...

  Hebrews 3:12-14 Listen to today's devotional It’s easy to underestimate the power of a kind word or a gentle reminder of God’s presence. But haven't you had some experience where those kinds of little things have inspired you? We all need that from each other. Hebrews might call that  every day encouragement .  The Bible shows us that this daily blessing is not optional to a life with God. It's essential in keeping our heart focused on God's goodness and faithfulness. In keeping our faith strong. Life wears on us. We all face challenges, disappointments and temptations. If left unchecked, they can slowly harden our hearts. That's why daily encouragement isn't just nice. It's necessary. Now, encouragement doesn’t always have to be some grand gesture. It can be a text to a friend, a quick note of gratitude to a coworker or a willingness to just listen patiently to someone. I always thought people were being nice when they responded to the daily text messages...

  Ephesians 2:11-22 Listen to today's devotional As an eleven-year-old, I didn’t understand what I was watching in November 1989. I saw crowds of people standing around and on a wall. They cheered as they chipped away at it with hammers and pickaxes. Then a big chunk of it fell to the ground. I remember how excited a TV announcer was in a commercial later on. He was selling pieces of the Berlin Wall. But I didn’t know the history or the tension that wall represented. So, the joy of destroying such a powerful symbol of division went over my head. It doesn’t anymore. The Berlin Wall was more than just concrete. It stood for years of hostility, separation, and fear. When it came down, people celebrated freedom, unity, and the hope of something better. That’s the same kind of hope scripture points to in Ephesians 2. Jesus tore down the wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles, making peace where there had been only division. Unfortunately, we’re still surrounded by walls today. Wall...

  Psalm 67 Listen to today's devotional The first great controversy of the Christian movement surrounded the inclusion of Gentile converts. While we Gentiles today are grateful for the overwhelming affirmation of their inclusion into the faith, unfortunately, we often find new ways to alienate each other. Unknowingly or not, we construct new dividing walls that keep us from knowing the full reconciliation of God. What is worse is that we find these barriers comfortable and we, often, are not willing to further identify or deconstruct them. We are not comfortable even acknowledging them. So, they seem immovable. Consequently, what is left are unsettling feelings of distrust and suspicion. We cannot trust those from other races, political ideologies or theological backgrounds. Even generations attack each other and blame our collective problems on one another. Hostility remains. Does this mean the work of Christ has reached its time limit? Has God's work of reconciliation come to...

  Psalm 133 Listen to today's devotional I once visited a church that did its best to live up to its name: Scum of the Earth Church. Their drive was to be a place for anyone to feel welcome and at home. In the congregation, there were khakis and high tops, young and old, a professor and a single mom. I loved it. The guy next to me was dressed in all black, had long hair, make up and probably more piercings than I could actually see. While I sat in a chair, he perched confidently atop a ramp at the side of the room. The leader finished our worship time by having us gather in a large circle. We held hands and recited The Lord's Prayer. Now, I've recited that prayer, probably, thousands of times. My impression was the guy next to me wasn't as used to it. But you could tell the words meant as much to him as anyone else. As usual, I finished the prayer with a hopeful, "Amen." He finished differently. Just as hopeful, mind you. I've prayed before that these word...

Judges 5:1-11 "You can't be great without the greatness of others." If you know me, you know I didn't miss last night's game. My team won and, of course, we celebrated. I even watched the post game interviews for fun. That's where I heard that quote from our head coach. You hear a lot of clichés in sports. But that quote stuck with me because right before the game I read the passage for today's devotional. Yes, even as I cheered on my team, I was reflecting on scripture. The prophet Deborah and the military leader, Barak, sang a song of victory, recorded in Judges 5. My team has a great fight song, but nothing like Deborah's. Hers recognizes the power of God. God won the battle Israel celebrated. As the song recounts the details of the battle, the assumption is God must've been at work for the people. After all, "was shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel" (5:8b)? But notice the greatness Deborah leads with. The NRSV tr...

  Luke 19:41-44 An Episcopal bishop addressed specific hopes during a recent homily. That the hopes carried strong political overtones surprised many people. Quite frankly, many took offense. This homily garnered much attention since its setting was the inaugural prayer service. I won't say the sermon sparked debate. Much of what I've read isn't debate but spewing. There's no dialogue. There's no listening to what each other has to say. Many of us are not talking to the image of God in others. But the topic is still important. One we should share conversations about. Of course, this is not a new discussion. When is it okay for a sermon to be political? That question has long agitated people. Some will say if the pastor wants to get political, tax the church. Then there are those who are confident faith has nothing to say to politics. Jesus never did, right? Maybe all the years of telling each other to not talk about politics and religion in good company has marred u...

 Watch on Youtube Day 1: Understanding the Shift Devotional: Reflect on the moment in Luke 4 when Jesus is praised one instant and nearly cast away the next. Consider how the expectations of the people in Jesus’ hometown changed when they realized his message wasn’t just for them, but for everyone. Reflection Questions: Can you recall a time when your expectations of someone led to disappointment or anger? How do you react when God’s plans differ from your own? Additional Scripture: Luke 4:16-30 Isaiah 61:1-2 Day 2: Hometown Expectations Devotional: Consider how hometowns often hold expectations for their own. Jesus returned home filled with the Holy Spirit, but faced resistance when his purpose extended beyond familiar faces. Reflect on how we view our own ‘hometowns’ and communities. Reflection Questions: What expectations do you feel from your community or family, and how do they influence your actions? Are you open to how God might work through or around your expectations fo...