Reflections on the loving kindness of the Triune God
What do we want from a church service? Jesus may catch our attention here if we notice the single reported sermon he preached to his home “church”—the synagogue in Nazareth—in Luke chapter four. But first let’s consider our own preferences in church worship songs and sermons. What about singing? Not the melodies but the words. …
Read More Jesus at ChurchOur host was friendly and open at the start of our lunch visit but after an hour he suddenly turned quiet. And despite some serious conversational CPR we three guests realized the party had died so we said our goodbyes and slipped away. Later I learned I had stepped on a relational landmine. My companions—a …
Read More TenderHere’s the first question an editor asks a writer: “Who’s your audience?” It’s like asking a soldier before he shoots his rifle, “What’s your target?” Readers already know the rule. If a first sentence starts, “Use this document to see if your SSI benefits are taxable” we know where it’s going. So, too, if a …
Read More AudienceTwo weeks ago I watched a video of my friend’s teen daughter doing great gymnastic routines at a meet in Galveston. I’ve also enjoyed seeing my brother’s grandson grow in his rich musical skills. And before Christmas I attended a church play with an extended drum sequence by four lads who had honed their skills …
Read More Good GiftsWe’ve all been disappointed. And the source of that disappointment is often a person we trust and care for. Someone we expected would say yes said no. When we waited for a text or phone call it never came. When we offered a tender gift it didn’t draw a “thank you” or even a smile. …
Read More DisappointedThe New Year is here. Is it time to lose thirty pounds? To find a spouse? Or, if you’re married, to build a happier marriage? Is it time to clean out the garage? Or the closet? Or maybe the fridge? Surely there’s some bold new ambition to chase! Here’s mine. I want a closer bond …
Read More New Year GoalsNobility is too often an orphan: an uncommon quality in local, national, or international news. And figures we have admired like Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, or Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger are now figures of the past. Even though nobility is available to all of us. I’m reading Isaiah right now and in the early chapters of …
Read More NobilitySome people enjoy exceptional intellectual gifts: strong memories, analytic and synthetic abilities, and good language skills. But Moses, it seems, wasn’t one of these. He was certain his speech impediment precluded any public ministry. Which raises a question. Why doesn’t God do better in finding followers? Moses was defective. Peter, too, seemed less than brilliant. …
Read More Brilliantly Wrong!“Start making retirement investments as soon as you start earning!” This was a Law of the Medes and the Persians, inviolable and unchanging. That truth—and its corollary, that compounding interest is magical—was the stuff of high school economics in my day. With a lifetime of steady investments we would retire in style. And this was …
Read More InvestingIn my current Bible read-through I’m noticing the Biblical theme of repentance. It’s not that I’m looking for the thread. Instead it seems to be looking for me! So join me, please, in a very brief and unsystematic reflection on repentance in the Bible. As context let me say that themes like repentance start to …
Read More Repent!