Simon Peter, in obedience to the Master's instruction, cast his net into the deep. One might think he'd won the lottery with so much fish that it broke the fishermen's nets and began to sink their boats! Instead, Simon Peter acknowledges his own sinfulness and falls at the knees of Jesus.
Fr. Timothy Lowe reminds us that only the mercy of the Lord, in light of our own sinfulness, lays the foundation for a good beginning. Whatever education and expertise we think we bring to our life's calling, we are challenged by Simon Peter who was willing to leave everything - his boat, nets, and fish - to follow his Lord. But it's only a beginning. And a good beginning doesn't make a hero. After baptism, there's more to the story. Read the full episode transcript here.
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Whom do you seek to please? Whom do you fear? A powerful leader seeking to please himself, King Herod desired to kill John the Baptist for referring to God's law above Herod. Fearing the people, Herod at first refrained from killing John because the people considered him a prophet. Seeking to please his unlawful wife's daughter and his dinner guests, Herod finally ordered John's head on a platter. Herod's reference points were whimsical, multiple, and self-serving.
Fr. Timothy Lowe shares the story of Herod and John the Baptist, reminding us that our reference points matter. We are called to refer to One Lord, serving and fearing only Him. Read the full episode transcript here. 
Leaders would rather lead change and preach repentance and mercy. But what happens when time has run out?
Standing in the Lord's presence, the prophet Isaiah cries, "Woe is me! I am undone!" and charged with a confounding message of coming judgment and destruction. Fr. Timothy Lowe, in a study of Isaiah 6, suggests it's time to sober up in the midst of utter devastation. Our only hope is in the seed of the Lord that might sprout from the burned and fallen stump. Read the full episode transcript here. 
Leaders make sacrifices everyday, putting aside their interests for the sake of serving others. Fr. Jeremy Davis, author of Welcoming Gifts: Sacrifice in the Bible and Christian Life suggests that the fullness of sacrifice isn't realized in loss and suffering, but in joy, hospitality, and faithful relationship. Christ demonstrates how to move beyond mere symbolic gestures of sacrifice and embrace the sacrificial life in faithful obedience to God and love to humankind.
Read the full episode transcript here. |
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