Recent Posts by jen

True Valentine

How did a bachelor priest come to represent a day celebrating romantic love? Despite the cupids and hearts that we see today, Saint Valentine was a real person. The strongest traditions put Valentine in third century Italy. He was a physician turned priest and fell under the persecution of the pagan Emperor Claudius II. During…
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All the World’s a Stage

The art of storytelling has been here since the beginning. In fact, God frequently uses story to impart His Truth. Every good teacher knows the value of a story and even Jesus used parables to teach a lesson. As the art of theater developed, story was told for a purpose, initially to honor the god…
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Competitive?

Do you consider yourself competitive? What does that look like for you? Competition in ancient Judaism is relatively unknown. Man’s value is derived from being made in God’s image, not from proving superiority over another. And since Judaism is an Eastern culture, it favors community over individuals. The community works together as a whole, not…
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Persist

The parable of the corrupt judge tells of a widow persistently badgering a judge who has no interest in granting her request and giving her justice. But her persistence, as we see in Luke 18:1-8, finally pays off and she is granted justice even from this corrupt source. Luke precedes the parable by saying that…
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