by jakeowensby | Sep 29, 2023 | Care, Matthew 21:33-46, Moral Law, Secularism, Self-Care
Self-care has become a lucrative industry. We spend billions of dollars on oils, apps, and fitness programs that claim to enhance our physical, spiritual, and emotional wellness. Observing the results of these products and these techniques among her patients,...
by jakeowensby | Sep 22, 2023 | Calling, Matthew 21:23-32
The first semester of Freshman Year in College was a few days away. My friend J- and I were driving somewhere. I can’t remember the destination. He asked me what I would major in. Too embarrassed to admit that I hadn’t the faintest clue, I said, “Psychology.”...
by jakeowensby | Sep 8, 2023 | Forgiveness, Matthew 18:21-35
J- remembers bits and pieces of that day. Just a toddler, he recalls playing on the floor with his mother, T-. She had bought some cheap plastic dinosaurs for him at the dime store (or the Dollar Store in today’s language), and she looked on as he marched them around...
by jakeowensby | Aug 25, 2023 | Holocaust, Matthew 16:21-28
When people first learn that my mother survived the Holocaust, they frequently ask me if she was Jewish.[1] It’s understandable. The Nazi Final Solution targeted Jews. Six million of them died in the camps. It comes as a surprise to them when I explain that my mother...
by jakeowensby | Aug 18, 2023 | Following Jesus, Matthew 16:13-20, Proper 16 A
After Sunday worship at one of the congregations in my diocese, I met with the church’s leadership for the standard review of finances, attendance figures, evangelism strategies, and the like. One of the leaders was visibly angry. He said nothing until we came to the...
by jakeowensby | Aug 11, 2023 | Matthew 15:21-28, Proper 15 A
When my daughter was diagnosed with autism, I had a few choice words for God. On a long evening walk under the stars, I railed at the unfairness of it all. At God’s unfairness. “Honestly, the kid’s barely out of preschool and she’s already undergone open heart...
