If we look at what Christians in politics are known for in our time, it's not for virtue and humility but for our willingness to abandon Jesus' teachings to be close to power....  Read More

When wealth is our god, we forget our connections to each other and believe the lie that we are self-made people instead of God-made people who need each other. ...  Read More

This week I was blessed to officiate the wedding of a former youth group member from a few churches ago. In my homily I said the following, “I want to keep my words today few. Because words matter. Th...  Read More

Young children can respond to God in faith....  Read More

In this week’s reading, John told Jesus he tried to stop someone who had been ministering in Jesus’ name, “because he was not following us.” John is concerned with whose team gets the credit. For Jesu...  Read More

This is SHALOM: peace, wholeness, life as God intends....  Read More

Rev. Joel Esala......  Read More

We are in the middle of Mark, which makes Jesus’ question the disciples’ midterm exam. Peter answers, “You are the Messiah.” In other words, you are more than a prophet, Jesus. You are the one who’s c...  Read More

Suffering is a feature of life....  Read More

Why are we so scared of differences?...  Read More

“Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders but eat with defiled hands?” He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This ...  Read More

What unites us around God’s table isn’t our labels, our politics, or our ethics. What unites us is God’s invitation, God’s heart of love that makes room for us all. ...  Read More