Friday, February 5, 2021 | Reflections
Ezra is five, and I tease his parents that he is like the cartoon character Dennis the Menace, with his curiosity and chatter. Upon learning his daddy’s middle name is David like the ancient King of Israel, Ezra wanted to know more about the king. I told him the story...
Thursday, February 4, 2021 | Reflections
One of my former special needs students, now a friend, sometimes calls and asks me to take her places. WWF wrestling? No, I am not a fan. Roller derby? Yes, I enjoy it as much as she does. Biker church? Maybe. My friend is fascinated with motorcycles and...
Wednesday, February 3, 2021 | Reflections
Context is everything with this verse. When the Pharisees come to Jesus and ask for a sign to test him, Jesus has just performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes, feeding four thousand people. It is no wonder that he sighs deeply. I would have rolled my eyes as...
Tuesday, February 2, 2021 | Reflections
Several of my friends have lost children to addiction. These funerals are heart-wrenching. Not only is the family mourning the death of a loved one, but they often have experienced suffering and stigma before the final loss. One mother displayed pictures in the...
Monday, February 1, 2021 | Reflections
This is not always true of me. I am sometimes very afraid. In particular, the idea of serious injury or disease afflicting my children terrifies me. Yet I know it is possible to have a faith that the psalmist describes. Sometimes, I trust and am able to put aside my...
Sunday, January 31, 2021 | Reflections
I recently heard the story of a Palestinian physician who lives and works in Gaza. He was trying to complete a trip that should be around six hours. With the checkpoints and border patrols, the trip ended up taking twelve hours. As the doctor talked about...
Saturday, January 30, 2021 | Reflections
Of all the verses you could pull from the Bible, this one from Galatians may be my favorite. There is a deep and abiding message to me in these words and the premise: We are all one in Jesus Christ. I believe this to be true. I also know that we Christians...
Friday, January 29, 2021 | Reflections
Psalm 40 begins, “I waited patiently upon the LORD.” And every time I read it, I wonder: What is it to wait patiently on the Lord? What is it to wait patiently on and for anything? My world has not served me well in learning to wait. Even my church has ….(View...
Thursday, January 28, 2021 | Reflections
Yesterday I talked about the difference between being a Christian and the practices we undertake to behave like one. Perhaps one of the most important exercises is making time for ourselves. When Jesus says to the disciples, “Come away to a deserted place all by...
Wednesday, January 27, 2021 | Reflections
Christianity is both spiritual faith and physical practice—hope and action. We choose to be a Christian, but we rarely speak about how we practice being Christian. We tend to compartmentalize our practice, taking off our faith like our church outfit and sliding it...
Tuesday, January 26, 2021 | Reflections
Today, we celebrate Timothy and Titus. It is no accident that we celebrate these two young companions of Paul on the day after we remember his conversion. I like that their day falls this way. We always have to be reminded that no chieftain, no prophet, not even a...
Monday, January 25, 2021 | Reflections
For Paul, a revelation from God (and his ensuing conversion) was a blinding light. Mine came while I was sitting on a mountain outcrop, overlooking the Arkansas River Valley on a brisk fall day. As the breeze blew gently, I simply knew without a doubt that...
Sunday, January 24, 2021 | Reflections
Some of you may know how easy it is to become lost in the New York City subway system. I got turned around down there once myself. I simply stood on the platform, staring blankly at the lighted information board. A wonderful man from India politely asked...
Saturday, January 23, 2021 | Reflections
While on a sabbatical in the winter of 1865, beloved clergyman and poet Phillips Brooks arranged to be in Bethlehem. On Christmas Eve, he visited the shepherds’ fields and wrote the hymn, “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” It was a tumultuous year in the U….(View...
Friday, January 22, 2021 | Reflections
The first time I saw the Sea of Galilee with my own eyes, I remember thinking, “This is nothing more than a big lake!” I began to wonder about stories like this one from Mark, where great gales are reported. I remember sitting at sunset by the sea, peac….(View...
