by Steve Thomason | Mar 23, 2026 | Bible, Theology
This image was inspired by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan as they offer a hypothetical scene in their 2006 book The Last Week,
Two processions entered Jerusalem on a spring day in the year 30. . . One was a peasant procession, the other an imperial procession. From the east, Jesus rode a donkey down the Mouth of Olives, cheered by his followers. . . On the opposite side of the city, from the west, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Idumea, Judea, and Samaria, entered Jerusalem at the head of a column of imperial calvary and soldiers.
Jesus’s procession proclaimed the kingdom of God; Pilate’s proclaimed the power of empire.
by Steve Thomason | Mar 16, 2026 | Devos
Jesus encounters Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in John 11. He meets them each where they are, and shows us how God brings healing to our mind, our heart/spirit, and our body.
by Steve Thomason | Mar 7, 2026 | Adult Learning, The Missional Church, Visual Preaching
I had the great joy of teaching a three-day intensive class last weekend at Luther Seminary. We call this RFS (Residential Focus Session). A full credit masters course requires 40 hours of instructor-led class time. The RFS gathers distributed learners (DLs) from...
by Steve Thomason | Feb 20, 2026 | Personal Updates
This is the sermon I preached on Ash Wednesday at Luther Seminary, Feb. 18, 2026. Remember that you are a beloved clump of dirt, filled with the breath of God.
by Steve Thomason | Feb 18, 2026 | Spiritual Formation
A reflection on the ashes–the beloved clump of dirt–of Ash Wednesday. What does this moment of our lives mean in the grand scheme of the universe?
by Steve Thomason | Feb 17, 2026 | Spiritual Formation
Lent begins this week. It starts with Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 and then moves through 5 Sundays that lead to Palm Sunday on March 29. In this post I want to look specifically at the texts and possible themes for the Gospel readings from the Revised Common Lectionary.
by Steve Thomason | Feb 15, 2026 | Sermons
I had the joy to preach at First Presbyterian Church in Hastings, NE. The sermon comes from the Narrative Lectionary text for Feb. 8, 2026. This week we see another contrast between the northern region and Jerusalem. There was a royal official in Cana who saw Jesus for who he was and had enough faith in him that he asked Jesus to heal his son long distance. There was another man in Jerusalem who was the lowest of the low. Jesus breaks the Sabbath law and heals this man. Yet, in spite of the miracle of healing, the only thing that people can see in Jesus is a lawbreaker and a blasphemer. We see what we want to see.
Open our eyes, oh Lord
by Steve Thomason | Feb 2, 2026 | Art Pastor Live
Join me for this livestream contemplative art experience where I paint a tree in Procreate on my iPad. There were a lot of technical glitches during this livestream, but it turned out that we learned as much from them as we did from the contemplative drawing practice.
I hope this stream opens a space of slowness and contemplation that is a balm during such difficult times.
by Steve Thomason | Jan 25, 2026 | Art Pastor Live
https://youtube.com/live/-mvdoQyGOZ0 Minneapolis is experiencing a horrible time as ICE agents roam our streets, using brute tactics in a force of terror. Three people have been shot, two of whom died. Protestors are flooding the streets. The tension and violence is...
by Steve Thomason | Jan 19, 2026 | Art, Devos
Painting is therapy for me.
May this image help you today.
