by jakeowensby | Nov 13, 2020 | grace, Matthew 25:14-30
You’re not supposed to stand on the top three rungs of a ladder. I did it anyway, even though I recognized at the time what a bad idea it was. This was a 32-foot extension ladder. Even leaned against a wall at a precariously straight angle, it had not brought me...
by jakeowensby | Sep 18, 2020 | Matthew 20:1-16
Without Alice, the gears of our society would grind to a halt. You’ve probably seen her hard at work, but maybe you didn’t take careful notice of her. Alice is our neighbor. She cares for our children and for our elderly. She waits tables, checks us out at the grocery...
by jakeowensby | Jun 12, 2020 | Matthew 9:35-10:8
People tell me they’re tired. This epidemic is exhausting. It’s gone on for so long, and they are ready for it to be over. Four hundred years, for crying out loud! Oh! You thought I meant the COVID pandemic. Yeah, that one wears me out, too. But I’m talking about...
by jakeowensby | Apr 13, 2018 | 1 John 3:1-7, 3 Easter B, grace
Brene Brown teaches us to say that we are enough. It’s wise and gracious advice. Her research shows that a hypercritical, perfectionist tyrant abides deep within many of us. This tyrant’s voice will be male or female depending upon the settings for your internal...
by jakeowensby | Apr 6, 2018 | 2 Easter B, John 20:19-31
Thomas died somewhere along the southwest coast of India. According to an ancient text called Acts of Thomas, King Misdeus, a local ruler, blew his stack when Thomas converted his Queen, his son, and his sister-in-law to the Way of Jesus. In response, Misdeus ordered...
by jakeowensby | Feb 23, 2018 | Lent 2 B, Mark 8:31-38
Mary’s polished demeanor and conservative business attire identified her as one of the many employees in the finance sector of a city I once lived in. Married with two elementary-school-aged children, Mary—which is not her real name—is the picture of reliable,...
