temple ⁽⁸¹⁾

Matthew 2:1–12, John 12:1–11 The Magi’s visiting Jesus presented 3 gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh. Often they are respectively tied to Jesus’ roles as king, prophet/priest, sacrifice/savior. How accurate that is may be questioned. That they were costly and significant gifts is not questionable. Gold is…

Psalm 78, Judges 17:1–13 "We will not hide [the miracles of the past], but will tell a future generation…" Except what are we telling? This is a very personal question for anyone. There have been generations of self-defined Christians whose entire families have walked away…

Psalm 84, 1 Chronicles 28:1–29:9 When we speak of legacy, it is usually about what we leave behind. In Shakespeare’s play Julias Caesar, Anthony says, “The evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred with their bones.” That sad truth is…

Psalm 74, Ezra 3:1-11, 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 In Seattle, building after building is going up with those huge cranes on top. The population of Snohomish County is projected to grow by 10,000 people per year for nearly the next 20 years, and the first couple…

Numbers 16:1–50, Romans 16:17–20, 1 Corinthians 1:10–17 Most of us have heard John Dalberg-Acton’s quip, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” What is most often missed is Acton’s “tends”. David Brin takes a slightly different tack, “It is said that power corrupts,…