Doulos

Who is this King of Glory? With the image of Jesus on the cross, recall Isaiah 53:3:He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.Fr. Timothy Lowe looks to the Gospel of Matthew as the climax to the biblical story in the people's search for a leader. The Son of Man

King Josiah led his people in a magnificent building campaign to beautify their temple. But it all came to a screeching halt when the Book of the Law, neglected for generations by the Kings of Israel, was discovered and its words read aloud. King Josiah realized the Lord's judgment was at hand, and so he led his people in repentance. "There was no king like him, who turned to the L

We had hoped the young King Solomon, in his request to the Lord for wisdom, would avoid the typical temptations that come with power and prestige. But the frailty of the human ego shows itself again in the wayward path Solomon takes in seeking not the Lord, but wealth and security in other gods and earthly alliances. In this line of biblical kings, is there any hope that one would

If you had only one wish, what would it be?The young King Solomon asked not for long life, nor riches, nor victory over his enemies. We learn from the story in I Kings that the Lord was pleased that Solomon instead asked for a "listening heart," to govern and discern what is right. Fr. Timothy Lowe reminds us that the right beginning, the initial baptism and the right confession of

If we claim to live as a servant of God, a doulos tou theou, we must reckon with the daily choice: Do I serve and protect my own interests and my own life? Or serve the will of God, even at the cost of my own comfort and life?Fr. Chris Salamy compares the story of the man, Adam, in the Garden of Eden with the story of the man, Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane. He reminds us that

Who is the real David? On the one hand, a humble shepherd boy who courageously obeys the Lord and is anointed king of Israel. On the other hand, adulterer and murderer in his dealings with Bathsheba and Uriah. On the first hand, sorrowfully repentant, and Psalmist. On the other hand, abandons his duty in providing justice for his daughter, Tamar, who is raped by David's firstborn.

Not long after the Lord establishes his shepherd, David, over his people Israel, does King David turn to devour his own flock. Bored and distracted at home while his armies fight the king's battles, David takes another man's wife. To cover up his adultery, he betrays and murders his loyal and faithful servant, Uriah the Hittite. We are reminded again through this story that, "No on

Safe from his enemies and finally secure in his own palace, King David desires to build the Lord a house of cedar. The Lord reminds David through His prophet Nathan that the ark of the Lord moves and dwells in a tent. The Lord has no need for a house. Furthermore, it is the Lord who establishes David and his house, and not the other way around. Taking him from the pasture, the Lord

Constantly searching for impressive candidates - from elected officials, to job postings, to new recruits on parish councils - we hope to find leaders in whom we can trust. Yet every leader who comes from the seed of Adam falls short. Fr. Timothy Lowe looks to the story of God's regret that He had made Saul king over Israel, a similar regret we hear in Genesis after God had created

Good leaders manage expectations. Good leaders provide clarity and a path forward to eliminate surprise and disappointment. Since the beginning, the Lord makes it clear that all will be well for those who do His will. So why are we astonished?