Sabbath Ceasing
Richard A. Kauffman
Did God command Sabbath keeping because it’s good? Or is it good because God commanded it? That’s an age-old issue that can be asked of any divine command.
Show and Tell
Richard A. Kauffman
Until about the age of six, my family went to the East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church in the city of Lancaster, PA. We children were all given a penny bank that was modeled after the church building as it looked in the 1950s. It was made by one of the pastors who was a pattern […]
The Blessing Place
Richard A. Kauffman
Zephaniah, a minor prophet, consisted of nine prophetic oracles (that is, messages from God). Eight of these oracles were judgment against Judah and Jerusalem for their pride and failure to keep the covenant. This book was written during King Josiah’s reign, a reform-minded monarch. Despite his best efforts, there was still a great deal of […]
A Symphony in 3 Movements
Richard A. Kauffman
I’ll let you in on a little family secret: At one time I was known in my family for driving on an empty tank of gas. Family members knew that if they drove my car, their first task might be to go straight to a gas station to get some gas. It was partly strategic: […]
Alms from the Poor?
Richard A. Kauffman
We know what this story is about, correct? A poor widow comes to the Temple. She’s dependent on the kindness of others, since widows in that socio-economic context didn’t get to control their husband’s estate. She has two small coins, which she put into the Temple treasury. She could have saved one for herself, but […]
Did Job Get a Passing Grade?
Richard A. Kauffman
“Have you considered my servant Job?” That’s a question God asks twice in the book of Job. Yes, for the last 3 Sundays, and yet again this morning we are considering God’s servant, Job. I remind you what this Job story is about. Job is put to the test: Satan—not the devil but one of […]
Job’s Bitter Complaint
Richard A. Kauffman
Mark did a terrific job last week launching our 4-Sunday series on Job. He used his law background to good advantage. I wouldn’t want to oppose Mark in a court of law! Job asks the really big questions of life: Who is God? Where is God? Who are we as humans? Why is there suffering […]
Cure or Healing?
Richard A. Kauffman
Duane Beck, a retired Mennonite pastor, says that when he started his first pastorate right out of seminary, he preached repeatedly on the theme of discipleship. He discovered that the members of his congregation were committed Christians who had every intention of deepening their life of discipleship, but they didn’t or couldn’t for some reason. […]
Reorientation
Richard A. Kauffman
Some of you may know the name John Dear—no, not the green tractors that used to go put-put—but John Dear [D-e-a-r], a Catholic priest and peace activist from CA. Early in his career John Dear felt obligated to support an inmate on death row, since he opposed the death penalty. He contacted an inmate in […]
Lamenting the Loss of Laments
Richard A. Kauffman
Twice in my life I’ve had to face my mortality: At 15 I was in a serious car accident in which I could well have been killed. Then, at the ripe age of 50 I had open heart surgery. After this last incident I had a need to talk about my mortality, but I had […]
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