Hero or villain. Work or play. Mental or physical. “The bigger issue is one that moves beyond [Simone […]
Category Archive: Mercedes Smith
It’s 16th Century England, King Henry VIII sits on the throne, and the recently ignited Protestant Reformation has […]
There it was, pure and simple and seemingly innocuous. Painstakingly assembled and endlessly debated, each line bore the […]
I used to be really good at demanding an appropriate level of separation between my work and personal […]
With the conflict between Israel and Palestine once again dominating headlines, an increased sense of kinship and obligation […]
Janus is the two-faced Roman god of doorways and gates, and often marks periods of transition. He represented […]
“I forgive you.” When did you last speak those words aloud to someone? Not merely the implication of […]
Summoned to the Diet to give an account of his writings and teachings. There will be no awards […]
Holy Week is always long and tiring. It is the final push from the last 30-ish days of […]
Early in the morning, deflated and full of sorrow, they make their way to the tomb to prepare […]
The journey of Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit is an exciting one…dwarves, trolls, dragons, and treasure, with a […]
Imagine you were going to die tonight, surrounded by family and friends. You know that this is your […]
“Actions speak louder than words.” We’ve all heard this, right? It is not what you say that matters, […]
I find myself generally avoiding conversations about the wrath of God playing out in our world, particularly with […]
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” In his Small Catechism, Martin Luther is extraordinarily clear […]
I have learned a lot in the last year. I have gained insights into my own thought processes […]
Everybody likes a good villain. Whether you are watching your favorite superhero defeat his archenemies, or waging a […]
“Has not man a hard service on earth, and are not his days like the days of a hired hand?Like a […]
“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to […]
A pastor sits beside a parishioner and her dying infant. The child will soon die, not from some […]