Some things cannot be done at high speed. Driving large distances at thruway speeds is effective, but even basic maintenance is impossible at 65 miles per hour, or more. What is true for driving our vehicles is also true for our spiritual life. We cannot experience the real depth of the soul while pushing top speed in our activities, and one of the places this […]
I thought a little poetic reflection was in order for the weekend. May you find peace in what truly matters. I once thought happiness came in packages with dollar signs attached. Quantity mattered more than quality, unless a name gave you status. I wanted more because peace had a shelf life. Some, new thing was always ready to be my source of joy and self-worth. […]
“Is it worth it?” I continue to ask myself. Getting up early is not easy for me, but there are some emerging benefits that are making me rethink my plans and priorities. As I mentioned in my previous post, my schedule has seen a lot of transition recently, that led to more early morning time for devotion and prayer. In the brief time since these […]
Christmas is less than two weeks away and many of us are busily preparing for its arrival. For several weeks, my staff and I have been addressing the details of that season, especially our celebrations on Christmas Eve. Our Sunday School children are working hard to prepare for their program and our outreach ministries are keeping us focused on ways to bless others. Personally, our […]
“I don’t want to study!” I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard those words, and how many times I said them. There are times when all of us would rather not expend the metal effort to take in more information. Sometimes we feel too tired or maybe the material does not excite us, but whatever the reason, we don’t feel like learning any […]
Life occasionally presents us with interesting juxtapositions, times when we become aware of our great diversity and the infinite creativity of God. Today is one of those times for me. Yesterday, I met with a friend who offered his consulting services to our church. We spent a couple of hours looking at ways to enhance the audio/visual system in our Sanctuary. We discussed difference between […]
I’ve been reading (and rereading) Radical, by David Platt. It is a challenging look at how we blend American culture and philosophies with the Gospel message. More that simply understanding the message of the Bible through our cultural background, Platt argues we are reworking the true message of the biblical witness to fit our personal agendas and preconceptions. As I reviewed the chapter on we […]
Well, here we are again, entering into another new beginning. These new beginnings are wonderful opportunities to assess where we’ve been and to prayerfully consider where we are going. Now is where we remind ourselves of what God did for us in the past and ask ourselves what we did for God. It is the time when we dream about the future and pray for God’s vision […]
The story of the first Christmas is filled with images to remember and celebrate. The drama around Elizabeth’s pregnancy and the birth of her son John, the annunciation of the coming King to Mary and then to Joseph, the stable in Bethlehem, and the host of angels declaring good news to shepherds, these are some of the images the season brings to mind. One important […]
There is something about good art and the wonder of the artist’s eye that opens our eyes to the beauty that is around us. When we look through this creative vision, we see the grand wonders of creation, but we are also drawn to the smaller pieces that make up the whole. Even each color and brushstroke are pieces of beauty hidden within the bigger […]