Waxing Theological

9-21-14 (Proper 20, Ordinary 25 A Semi-Continuous) Exodus 16:2-15; Matthew 20:1-16                                                                     Unfair Wages     “It just isn’t fair!”     Fill in the blank after that point - older brother gets to stay up later than his younger siblings, the classmate whose parents bought him or her a car when they turned 16, but your own parents are making you borrow the station wagon when you want to go out with your friends, the co-worker who gets “employee of the month” because they kissed up to the boss while you did the extra work and they slacked off.     We’ve all f...

9-14-14 (Proper 19, Ordinary 24A Semi-Continuous) Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-35                                                          Don’t Forget You’re Forgiven     Every month, our mailbox at home fills up with a handful of envelopes that I wish would just stop coming to us.  These envelopes are important - they’re not just junk mail that I can rip up and throw away, no matter how much I may want to.  Instead, they’re all emblazoned with this terrible, horrible, four letter word that we all probably know and tremble when we hear: BILL.  It’s that time again - there’s the phone bill, the car bill, the student loan bills, the insurance bills, the credit card whose balance nev...

9-7-14 (Proper 18, Ordinary 23 A Semicontinuous) Exodus 12:1-14; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20                                                                               Ready or Not     It was the first recorded instance of “fast food” in the Bible.  As families gathered around the table on that first Passover evening, they gathered with girded loins - they had their loose clothes tied up around their legs to help them move more quickly.  They had their sandals on their feet and they had staffs in their hands, ready to move at a moment’s notice.  Without the time to bake p...

8-31-14 (Ordinary 22/Proper 17A - Semicontinuous) Exodus 3:1-15; Matthew 16:21-28                                                                          The Experience     One of the mentors at our gathering in Louisville told a story this week that really captivated me as I reflected on this week’s readings. Photo Credit: Tanya Alexander (freeimages.com)      He told us about a boy who went with his family to Mt. Rainier.  The little boy was excited to climb the mountain with his family, but as they came to the trailhead at the summit, he started to read the sign with the legal notic...