Fearing and glowing is what Transfiguration Sunday is about
At the transfgiuration of Jesus, God said “Listen to Him.”
Rama Ramanathan
Why do the wicked prosper? Is Psalm 37 daft?
Why do the wicked prosper? The lectionary readings for tomorrow (Sunday 20 February, Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany) are Genesis 45:3-11, 15; Psalm 37; 1 Corinthians 15:35-38; 42-50 and Luke 6:27-38. They give us a hint as to the answer. The Genesis passage is about Joseph in Egypt, revealing himself to his brothers who had …
Go stand in the People’s Gate
God ordered Jeremiah to go stand in The People’s Gate. We are told this in Jeremiah 17 in verse 19, just beyond 17:5-10, the Lectionary Reading for Sunday. The Reading applies the image of trees to us, as individuals. The Psalms portion says people who obey God’s ethical demands are like a flourishing tree (Psalm …
Sermons and trembling go together
When I say sermons and trembling go together, I speak both as a giver and as a hearer of sermons. When I read verses such as “The words of Jeremiah … to whom the word of the Lord came …” (Jeremiah 1:1), I tremble. I remember how Quakers got their name: ““Quaker” emerged as a …
The message of Nehemiah 8
Nehemiah 8 is the Old Testament lectionary reading for tomorrow, Sunday 23 January 2022. This chapter marks a turning point in the history of Israel. It’s “a new beginning” for the nation of Israelites, the descendants of Jacob, whom God renamed Israel. Nehemiah 8 speaks of Jews. Those who identify as Jews today have no …
Should you change your name?
Have you ever wondered whether you should change your name? Long ago, I thought names indicate religious faith or upbringing. The first computer I used was made by a Taiwanese company called Multitech. The name of its founder was Stan. I thought he was a Christian. I was wrong. In Thailand and Indonesia, citizens are …
Tone at the top and the MACC
“Tone at the top” is what I think of when I think of Azam Baki, the embattled Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). Detection, avoidance and elimination of corrupt practices featured in the last two organizations I worked for in my professional career. Both had Codes of Conduct which laid out what we …
3 views about capital punishment
I ended my article about the talk I gave to BLC youth by noting that I presented 3 views about capital punishment. My purpose in that article was to reveal the back story to my talk. What I said about the content of my talk was incidental, just background to my struggle over accepting the …
Joy in reading and 101 chimes at 9:05 pm
An account of the intersection of my life with books. Reading some odd things about Oxford, UK – in a biography of Dorothy L Sayers by Colin Duriez – made me recall odd things in books I’ve read. And made me think about how I started reading, what I read over the years, what endures, and my habit of acquiring books as travel momentos.
The death penalty and the Christian
I begin with 6 reasons why I was reluctant to accept an invitation to speak about the death penalty. I explain why I accepted. I mention 4 true stories which I used to humanize my talk. I conclude by listing 3 Christian views of the death penalty.