Learning
Growth
Unity
Five Objects of Wonder, Part 1
What wondrous works of God fill you with awe when you take time to quietly meditate upon them? All of God’s creation is good, but some things really get my head in a spin and make it hard to wipe a grateful grin off my face. Here is a starter list, one of many, I hope…
What If We Got the Exact Wound We Needed?
My recent quarantine gave me time to reflect on how Dan and I arrived at this abundant place—this later-in-life marriage; this lovely, peace-filled home; this graced season.
We both arrived via woundedness.
Can You Love the Church but not the People?
The Church. The Bride of Christ. An Assembly of Saints. A Royal Priesthood. Those are accurate but intimidating descriptions of God’s people. We all agree that the local expression of that comes up a bit short. So what does it mean to love the church?
When the Rains Come
Oftentimes, when riding my bike alone, I listen to Tim Keller's podcast. For nearly 30 years he was the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC. In the late '80s, Tim and his wife, Kathy, founded the church and they strongly believe in bringing the good news of Jesus to the city and frames his talks and books in terms of the educated, cultural and skeptical soup that is New York. When I listen to one of his sermons …
What Are You Doing with All Those Rocks?
There’s a difference between guarding our hearts from danger and guarding our hearts from love and people and life experiences.
We weren’t designed to build walls to keep people out.
Awe in the Wilderness
When was the last time you felt a sense of awe? If you're like me, I suspect it's been a while. We live in a world that trivializes the divine and flattens the extraordinary. We fabricate a transcendence without God.
I Believe...But
Coming off a mountaintop experience like no other, where Jesus shows his glory and talks with Moses and Elijah, and where God the Father who cuts Peter off mid-sentence with, "This is my beloved son, listen to him," the group returns to a somewhat chaotic scene. A distraught dad, his tormented son, a crowd wanting to see some action and religious leaders scrutinizing what this uncontrollable rabbi would do next.
Be Safe. Hydrate.
Who turned on the summer switch!? We went from “Sprinter” to Summer overnight! I don’t know about you but the cold, wet spring kept me inside, usually drinking something warm and caffeinated to fight the blahs. And NOT drinking water.
A Hand Over My Mouth
Imagine for a moment what Jesus was thinking when he began his ministry.
A mainstay of our belief, distilled from scripture, is that Jesus enjoyed what theologians call a hypostatic union, meaning he was 100% Human and 100% God, but willingly set aside his divine privilege and primacy to live as a servant to the humanity he created.
The One Indispensable Quality for Christian Leaders
I'm always a little uneasy when, after speaking or serving in a church, someone heaps on me excessive praise. I do appreciate their sentiment. I nearly always express thanks. But I know myself too well to take their comments to heart. I also know, like Jesus, what's in the hearts of men and women (John 2:24-25).
That's why I believe that the one indispensable quality for Christian leadership, both men and women, is …
Thimble or Bucket?
When God offers to fill your cup in prayer, do you pull out a thimble or a bucket? Yes, he’ll fill whatever you offer, and you’ll feel full to overflowing. But…
Right Now
No matter what I know to be true, or how often I remind myself of the benefit of walking the Jesus Way, or my being aware of how unsatisfying living apart from God proves to be, I stumble again and again into old behaviors that don't look at all like a Jesus-follower. Let the self-recrimination begin. I used to think I was alone in this, at least I would grow out of it...but I keep doing dang stoopid stuff. And I have a suspicion that you can relate.
Twelve-Step Recovery and Jesus
They meet in Room W21 upstairs and in Fellowship Hall. They met before COVID, during COVID and they are still meeting. Some come on Tuesday, some on Thursday. Some are recovering alcoholics and some are still trying to deal with the everlasting effects of alcoholism in their lives. This is recovery in action.
The Bottom Line
Like a monster, money creeps its way under our pillows when we are young and soon tries to smother us, never letting us breathe until we die. It’s a false god, an idol by nature, demanding our worship and nothing less.
Loss? Or Exchange?
Maybe because I notice some physical decline that I think of the losses of life, but this is really true in each phase of our lives. Loss is part of a world not yet redeemed as it will be. People can get trapped focused on the loss and not see what stands ready to fill the void and be exchanged for what came before. Look ahead. Jesus is not finished with you regardless of your hurt and loss and disappointments.
Do You Have 3:00AM Friends?
Friends of ours own a historic cabin on the Metolius River in Camp Sherman. Last summer, we helped them with an outdoor covered porch project and an indoor rod-and-curtain-hanging endeavor. (And when I say we helped, I mean mostly it was Dan while I cheered him on.)
Sin
This morning we heard a good, no, great message by Jason. His message left people squirming in their seats - as it should have. He talked about sin.
But what is sin?
Memories of Dad
The other morning, I woke early and got out of bed. In reality, Dorene kicked me out of bed for making too much noise. I removed myself to the recliner and being the week before Father’s Day, I began to reflect on memories of my dad.
Looking Back
My friend Bob Schuur once told me a quaint, but poignant Pennsylvania Dutch saying: "Too soon old; too late wise." What the expression says to me is that I wish I had learned earlier the lessons I now know and done the things I no longer can do.
Go Make Stuff – The World Needs Makers
It was Nanea Hoffman who said:
“Go make stuff today. Make coffee. Make a ruckus. Make a difference. Make a memory. Make time for someone or something you love. The world needs makers.”