by jakeowensby | Oct 13, 2023 | Matthew 22:15-22, Meaning, Worship
When Ashley Richmond was nine years old, a relative recognized her affinity for animals and suggested that she become zookeeper. In 2006 Ashley graduated from Michigan State with a degree in zoology. Now she tends the mammals at the Detroit Zoo. In the past, zoos put...
by jakeowensby | Feb 24, 2023 | 1 Lent, Matthew 4:1-11
It’s not like me. Honestly. But I confess that I binge-watched the entire first season of The Good Place when it first hit Netflix a few years back. Friends had been assuring me that I would love it. One of the main characters is an ethicist, and I used to...
by jakeowensby | Dec 23, 2022 | Luke 2:1-20
This year I’ve been asking people what they’re favorite Christmas movie or TV special is. The answers have varied by people’s generation. The titles I’ve heard include: “It’s a Wonderful Life” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” “Elf” “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, and...
by jakeowensby | Dec 16, 2022 | Faith and Science, Matthew 1:18-25, Secularism, Virgin Birth
My atheist phase lasted for about fifteen minutes one sunny, late-spring afternoon. Freshman year in college was coming to a close for me. There was a party at a nearby river. A couple of my friends and I were standing midstream on a large rock. Soaking up the sun,...
by jakeowensby | Apr 29, 2020 | Hebrews 12:1
There are times that our greatest spiritual challenges is to put one foot in front of the other. For many of us, life in a pandemic is one of those times. Here’s this week’s reflection on how to keep going and even thrive in uncertain...
