Reflections on the loving kindness of the Triune God
Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who wants to push a topic you find tedious or awkward? You try to change the subject. That fails. You try silence. That fails! In fact your silence gives him twice the time to talk. Finally you sigh inwardly and say you have somewhere you need …
Read More Awkward EncountersHere’s a question we all face each day: How much self-indulgence is acceptable? And what kinds of self-indulgence are allowed to Christians? The question may sound like a setup for a dose of moralistic chastening—and there will be a moral bite involved—but I ask it as an honest reflection. Self-indulgence offers a wide range of …
Read More Self-indulgenceJesus warned his disciples—and, by extension, us—of what to expect before his return. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false …
Read More A Growing ChallengeAll of us have scars and hurts: perhaps a physical disability, a mental limitation, a sexual violation, a major relational loss—or a combination of these and more. And even as Christians the damage may have stolen our hope and left us in a debris field of disappointment. Yet people respond differently to disappointments. Some are …
Read More Life as leftovers?This entry repeats a post offered at Cor Deo. Please offer any responses at that site. Thanks! God is devoted to a good outcome in whatever he does. Right from the beginning we find God making the heavens and the earth as “good,” “good,” and “very good.” We also find Jesus calling on his disciples …
Read More Process & ProductWhat should we make of the WWJD movement—What Would Jesus Do?—of the 90’s? Proponents of that movement updated Charles Sheldon’s book, In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do? They also borrowed from The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis of the 16th century. I’ve been a skeptic. My hesitation has nothing to do with …
Read More WWJD RevisitedWe were made for conversation. This realization comes in the first hours of birthing and never ends. Every child who grows into successful adulthood will have started with a mother’s tender gaze, cuddles, and whispered words. This parent-child bonding is woven by words of devotion and love. The child also smiles and learns to respond …
Read More ConversationsGretchen, who has contributed here before (see her last in August 2013), invites us to a deeper faith. Be sure to read her post with an open heart! The beginning of a new year brings with it a flurry of New Year’s resolutions….lose weight, exercise more, de-clutter the closets, etc. We all have issues and …
Read More A Different Kind of ResolutionThis entry repeats a post at Cor Deo: please offer any responses on that site. Thanks! Jesus offered a parable about the types of soil farmers find in casting seed. He then explained the parable. Those who hear God’s word are the soil and the quality of the soil defines the fruitfulness of a teaching …
Read More Soil SamplesCan you think of the times you’ve called out to God without a response from him? Do prayers seem to bounce back from heaven? Have you ever asked him, “Where are you when I need you? Why don’t you answer me?” Do we need to find some magic formula to stir God? Or to placate …
Read More Prayers that work