Advent is a season where we remember the prophecies foretelling Jesus’ coming and anticipate the day when He will come again. We live in between those times, so where exactly is Jesus now? This is a surprisingly difficult question to answer because we see Jesus in many places at the same time, but for very […]
Discontentment is powerful. It can transform any of us into bitter, angry people, all while masquerading as something beneficial and good. Let me explain. I think we can all agree that the world isn’t as God intended it. In fact, it’s not even close. Injustice reigns, greed is rampant, moral decay is accelerating and trust […]
I don’t quite know how the tradition was started, but I like it. In many Bibles, the words of Jesus were printed in red ink. That red ink set those words apart. They seemed to jump off the page as if to say, “pay attention!” I had a time in my life when those words […]
If someone would come to our church building and ask, “Where is the sanctuary?” I have to think that everyone would point to the room with the vaulted ceilings where we gather to worship. Indeed, we call that room a “sanctuary.” Have you ever wondered why we call it that? If you look up sanctuary […]
One of my favorite plants is the crocus. If you don’t know about crocuses, you should. They are the first flowering plant to pop out of the ground in the late winter/early spring. We have several cute little bunches of white crocuses in our front yard. It never fails. Right about this time every year, […]
Certain words just don’t feel right when spoken together. For example, we wouldn’t usually describe chaos as perfect, but a “perfect chaos” could describe a particularly intense chaos. A “thundering silence” could be a deeply profound moment with no words or sounds. An “illuminating darkness” could be an evil that reveals a new reality to […]
Over the better part of the last two years, we have witnessed a decline in community. The “distancing” that was so steadily encouraged at the beginning of the pandemic has settled into a way of life. Masks hide our faces and we tend not to linger for conversation like we would before. Gatherings that would […]
When I hear the word, “behold,” I don’t think of it as something I do on a regular basis. To behold is to look with awe-struck intensity, so much so, that you may even lose yourself in the object of your attention. No, that kind of experience is reserved for extraordinary moments, astonishing sights or […]
Perhaps you have experienced the same thing. The COVID malaise has left me tentative. For example, an opportunity would arise to do something good in the future. I would normally jump at something like that, but now I hesitate. “What if COVID surges again?” “What if my effort is for naught?” “What if nobody does […]
The only earthquakes I’ve ever experienced were mild and uneventful. Even yet, it was rather disconcerting to think that the ground could shift under my feet. We like to think of the ground as firm and unmoving. Ask someone who has endured a major earthquake and you will find a certain mistrust of the very […]
