The Parable of the Good Samaritan for Today

A family was travelling from Guatemala to the Texas border. They were fleeing for the safety of their daughter from drug lords and human traffickers. Once at the southern border they fell upon ICE agents who separated the daughter from the parents and put them in separate detention centers. The child slept on a cold, damp floor, could not shower or brush her teeth, nor was she given a change of clothes, and sometimes was offered very little food for the entire day.

Scriptures and Prayer for Trinity Sunday

Old Testament: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31

Psalter: Psalm 8

Epistle: Romans 5:1-5

Gospel: John 16:12-15
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God of heaven and earth, before the foundation of the universe and the beginning of time you are the triune God: the Author of creation, the eternal Word of salvation, and the life-giving Spirit of wisdom. Guide us to all truth by your Spirit, that we may proclaim all that Christ revealed and rejoice in the glory he shared with us. Glory and praise to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Saturday at the Cinema: The Persistence of Belief in the Doctrine of the Trinity

Truth Is Stranger than Fiction: What Goes Down Must Come Out

Speeding Teenage Driver In Canada Blames Hot Wings

June 10, 20196:33 AM ET
Heard on Morning Edition, NPR.org
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The Royal Canadian Mounted Police clocked the speeding red Camaro at 105 mph through Manitoba. The driver explained he'd eaten too many hot wings, and really needed a bathroom. The driver was fined.

Scriptures and Prayer for Pentecost

First Reading: Acts 2:1-21 or Genesis 11:1-9

Psalter: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b

Second Reading: Romans 8:14-17 or Acts 2:1-21

Gospel: John 14:8-17, (25-27)
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Living God, you have created all that is. Send forth your Spirit to renew and restore us, that we may proclaim your good news in ways and words that all will understand and believe. Amen.

Saturday at the Cinema: What Does the Holy Spirit Do?

Some reflections on Pentecost.

Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction: Ancient Fermented Fish Sauce and Pompeii

from Kristina Killgrove, Forbes.com
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Vat Of Ancient Fish Sauce May Confirm Date That Pompeii Was Destroyed

The traditional date on which Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, destroying Pompeii and other sites in the Bay of Naples, is August 24 based on historical records. This date has often been questioned, however, on the basis of the heavy clothing worn, the presence of some late autumn fruits and wine, and a charcoal inscription recovered last year. A close analysis of fish skeletons recovered from Pompeii is the latest evidence in this longstanding debate.

Ancient Romans had a complicated relationship with seafood. While many people undoubtedly consumed it, particularly those who lived close to the coast, this resource was more seasonal and less dependable than terrestrial meat such as pork. Much more popular was the fermented fish sauce called garum, which may have originally been created to preserve fish during times of plenty. Similar to East Asian fish sauce consumed today, garum was made from small fish macerated over the span of several months.

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Who Is Jesus?: The Puzzle and the Portraits of a Divine Savior

My latest book or booklet has just been published. Who Is Jesus?: The Puzzle and the Portraits of a Divine Savior is part of the Topical Line Drives Series published by Energion. The purpose of the series is to "pursue... a single topic very briefly....Their primary purpose is to invite the reader to become more involved in the process of study, to challenge preconceptions and attitudes, and to help Christians grow in knowledge, faith, love, and action."

You can purchase my booklet here.

They Were There: Seventy-Five Years after D-Day