Trust-filled Lament
Trust-filled Lament by Ellen Kogstad | May 4, 2020 Jesus was asked an astute question, “Lord, teach us to pray.” In this year filled with angst and fear what can we even say or pray. No words are adequate, our [...]
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Not in Vain
“If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (vv. 20-21, NIV).
One of the guarantees of life is that we will suffer in some way, shape, form, or fashion. …
Who but the Lord?
“Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God” (v. 5).
The psalmist knew very well that the Lord was the only eternal refuge. …
Resting on the Cornerstone
A cornerstone—a foundational stone that joins two walls—is the first real support of a building, determining its structure and position. In many older public buildings, the cornerstone is inscribed, telling passersby when the structure was built and what its purpose was. …
Beloved Community: A Sacramental Gift Behind Prison Walls
Beloved Community A Sacramental Gift Behind Prison Walls by Celeste Cecchi | April 29, 2020 When I was invited to attend a worship service within the walls of Stateville Correctional Center outside of Chicago, I expected [...]
Rooted in Love
Today’s passage points to the initiation of the deep love of the Creator for humanity to which God sent Godself to redeem us. It has several parallels to John 3:16: …
Worshipful Living
Our passage for today reminds us that our call to live out holiness is rooted in God reaching out to us to bring us into right relationship with Godself, to live in obedience to God’s purpose for our lives. …
Missional Living
The road to Emmaus is one of my favorite passages for understanding missional living. Another favorite passage, parallel to this one, is the story of Ruth and Naomi. Ruth was transformed by Naomi’s witness, and later Naomi was transformed by Ruth’s faithfulness. …
Table Fellowship
In the Bohra Muslim community in India, people eat their meals from a common platter that is called thaal. It is a custom that they firmly believe keeps them together. …
People over Possessions
A strong emphasis in collectivist cultures is placing the good of a community over the good for an individual—creating harmony through interdependency to build community. …
Being Transformed
“Repent and be baptized” (v. 38). This call from today’s passage reminds us that as people who proclaim and bear witness to the work of Jesus in our lives, the central aspect of our conversion is forgiveness and repentance. …
God Is Enough
C.S. Lewis wrote, “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling around with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us.” We are a confused people. We recognize that apart from God there is no good thing, yet we run after innumerable other “gods” …