Boundaries, Buckets and Blessings
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
The Jews and Samaritans had been estranged for a long time. It all started when those who had been in exile and those who had not been in exile, couldn’t agree on where the temple should be. Initially, it was a mild estrangement, but around 200 BCE, it grew in intensity. It ended with the […]
Friendship and Intimacy
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
In February 1944, when she was 13 years old, Anne Frank, a Jew who was in hiding in Amsterdam, wrote: Today the sun is shining, the sky is a deep blue, there is a lovely breeze and I am longing–so longing–for everything. To talk, for freedom, for friends, to be alone. And I do so […]
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall….Reflecting God’s Image
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
I love the bodies of babies and young children. It amazes me how they enter the world with everything they need in order to survive‐‐healthy lungs that breathe and support their strong voices, digestive systems that take in food and expel what is not needed. And yet, these bodies are vulnerable, weak‐‐most newborns can’t hold […]
Dreaming and Trusting with Joseph
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
Picture the conversation between Mary and Joseph. Mary says, “Joseph, we need to talk.” And Joseph might then be thinking, “Now what have I done?!” When she says, “I’m pregnant,” he knows that in fact, he hasn’t done anything, and in this case, that is the problem. Because if he isn’t the father, then who […]
Jesus’ Disaster Preparedness Plan
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
I can’t say that reading the scripture text for this week is a reassuring exercise. There appears to be nothing in it that will calm anxiety. It’s unsettling enough that Jesus says that the temple, known far and wide for its beauty, will be no more. But then he goes on to say that some […]
Prayer, Justice and Persistent Hope
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
When she learned of the death threats against her, Malala Yousafzai thought about how she would respond if a Talib came to kill her. She first thought she would hit him with her shoe, but then she thought, “If you hit a Talib, then there would be no difference between you and the Talib. You […]
A Generous God Whose Love Knows No Limits
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
This parable is known by a couple of titles: The Dishonest Steward, and The Shrewd Manager. The commentaries are consistent on one point about this parable: that it is the most difficult one that Jesus told! After that, they go off in a variety of directions and interpretations. And who can blame them, for Luke […]
Citizens of God’s Kingdom
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
I’ve been thinking about hospitality and citizenship this past week. Monday was Canada Day, the day when Canadians celebrate Canada’s birthday. Thursday was the 4th of July, the day when Americans celebrate their independence. I’ve been following the convention in Phoenix, knowing the youth would be sharing about their experience this morning. The convention theme […]
Extravagant Love, Extravagant Mercy
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
There are some stories we know and there are some stories we do not know. Last fall, I noticed on one of my early morning walks in the neighbourhood, that a particular house had about 6 of those very large garbage cans at the street on garbage day. I was horrified that 1 household would […]
Worship as Spiritual Formation
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
When our children were little, my work as a chaplain did not involve Sunday morning responsibilities, so I was able to attend worship in the congregations where Allan was pastor. During those years, there were many times when I wondered why I bothered coming to church, as I spent the majority of the morning in […]
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