Via Maris

Swordfight Ephesians 6:13-18 Ÿ Colossians 3:13 When Phil and Sue Martindale walked into my office that morning, I did a double take to make sure they were who I thought they were. Long-time attenders at church, the Martindales were friendly, outgoing and caring. Phil,...

Scarlet Cord Joshua 2 —   Matthew 1:5 — James 2:25-26 It is faded now, more pink than scarlet. The memory of that day Caleb gave it to me remains clear. I remember, too, the day Otni’el wove it into a bracelet, and how joy rose up in my heart when gave it to me. It...

Rising Sunday Matthew 26-28  Mark 15-16  Luke 23-24  John 18-21 Leviticus 17:11  Matthew 26:28  Isaiah 61   The First Hour The weight of Jesus’s crucifixion was an iron weight on Mary’s heart. As bad as things had ever been for her in Magdala, what with the...

Sandals Luke 8:26-39  Matthew 3:11 Luke sat on a stool, bent over to lace his sandals. He stood, then winced. Ouch. I must get a new pair of sandals. These beastly old things will make me lame. Andrew called out, “Luke, are you ready? ‘Tis time to depart.” The day...

Nazareth Luke 4:14-30 <> John 6:25-65 <> Mark 12:10 My morning stroll was blessed, for the air was warm and soft, the hillsides laughed with new grass and wildflowers sang their delight. It was a lovely contrast to my rough night in Nazareth’s...

Transfiguration December 2025 Luke 9:28-36 — John 14:6   Half brain-dead from the eleven-hour flight, worsened by running the customs gauntlet, Narita International’s Arrival Hall left me dumbstruck. Everyone seemed to know where they were going except me and...

Haven November 2025 Matthew 28:20b . John 14:18 . John 14:27   In the office, we sat close, her hand clenched in mine. My tympani heartbeat echoed hers. I could scarcely breathe, dreading what I knew was to come. Doctor Morris’s words were frosted with regret. “I...

The Dragon And The Child A Fable For Our Time October 2025 1 John 1:9 Once there was a boy named Amrodel, a cheerful and friendly boy, who lived with his mother and father in a pleasant village, renowned for its wonderful pastries and baked goods. He loved to wander...

Sons of Korah August 2025 Psalm 42 — Chronicles 20:19 — John 9:3   Mike Rathman carried the plates to the table. Mike’s last customers of the day waited for their meals. “Lessee, now, tuna on rye is for you, and yours is the Denver omelet.” Mike set the plates...

Anastasis July 2025 John 11:1-44 — Hosea 13:14 — 2 Corinthians 4:14 So often in these waning years, my thoughts revisit that horrid day the Romans nailed my dearest of friends, Jesus, to the cross. He is gone now, returned to God, our Father in Heaven, blessed be his...

Sprinting in La Paz August 2024 Matthew 13.22 — Ecclesiastes 9.11 Today was no different. It’s the crunch of the sand or maybe breeze in the palm trees, waves lapping on the shore, whatever. Every time I step off the blacktop onto the sand, the memories click,...