When we see God, the awe and wonder of the experience changes us, and we slowly become windows through which other people have their own God sightings. Another year passed without seeing the Perseid meteor shower. Every year, I make an effort to see this cosmic display, and cloud cover obscures my view. It was over two decades ago that I saw them while working […]
I lift up my eyes to the hills – from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. – Psalm 121:1-2 NRSV Yesterday morning, our internet went out. It seems a tree fell somewhere and took the line down with it. While the temporary loss was no tragedy, it did cause some significant impact on my plans […]
Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth. – Psalm 86:11a ESV Recently, we experienced a major storm, one filled with lightning and thunder, and significant rainfall. The storm started while my wife and I were at a church meeting and continued for several hours. As we opened the doors to leave, we knew we would get very wet on […]
Even though it is tempting, we can avoid the bait of pointless contention.
Before we consider the role of reason in spiritual discernment, I want to mention I comment I received on yesterday’s post. A concern was raised regarding God’s involvement in our experiences. Specifically, that God does not cause bad things to happen in our lives so that we will learn a lesson. This is a very important point! Rather than simply make a passing comment on […]
Living the Christian life requires a constant effort to discern God’s will and to put that direction into action. Discovering God’s will for our lives, our families, our faith communities, and the world is not always easy. Situations are often complicated and the right course of action is not always clear. How do we discern God’s direction? What tools are there to help us in […]
Early in my ministry, my wife handed me a cartoon of a woman speaking to her husband who was pouring over his schedule. It read, “Just remember honey, Jesus loves you, and everyone else has a wonderful plan for your life.” As laughable as it was, it is also quite the reality for just about everyone I know. It seems many people around us are […]
Bridges, trains, and the acrid smell of industry; rivers marked with barges of coal, these and many more are the images of home. I am a Pittsburgh boy, and, truthfully, that never leaves you. There is something about the city and the region that captures a piece of your heart forever. It is part of what makes our sports fans so annoying to others. We […]
I keep a small flashlight by the bed so that I can find things and get around without disturbing my wife as she sleeps. I noticed that the batteries were growing weaker, and the light a little dimmer each night, but I kept forgetting to replace them until I try to use it after we were in bed. It is no surprise then, that the […]