Dear Partner in Preaching, Can I give you some advice? Clear some time on your calendar next week for additional pastoral conversations with people. Because this Gospel reading, with its tussle over authority and deceptively tame parable, has the potential to really stir things up in the life and identity of your people. On one important level, the topic at hand is authority, as the religious authorities challenge Jesus’ right to teach and preach, particularly in the Temple, and Jesus in turn reverses their challenge and ensnares them in their own trap. And certainly you could preach a whole sermon on the dramatic exchange here, how it...

Well, the Scots have spoken. While the campaign for Scottish independence received 1,617,989 votes in yesterday’s referendum, those wishing to stay part of the United Kingdom accounted for 2,001,926 votes, a 55%-45% victory. If you’re like me, in recent weeks you’ve likely learned a lot about Scotland, the UK, Great Britain, and much more that we never got to in our social studies classes. But if you haven’t had a chance to keep abreast, it’s not to late. I’ve put below two videos by CGP Grey, a wonderful animator and teacher (I don’t know if he’s actually a teacher by profession, but his videos are reliably educational and...