Over my years of pastoral ministry, there is one basic thing that I find all of us have a really hard time grasping.
Home Altar
God Knows
I write this on day twenty-one of isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The anxiety, uncertainty, and great loss of this time is very real and will continue to mark us.
What Are You Doing Here?
God asks profound questions. After Elijah’s triumph over the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, King Ahab is hot on his trail. Elijah heads for the hills and hides for his life. God interrupts his personal pity party and asks him twice, …
The Wonder of God’s Love
I often pray the prayers of the psalms, but I find Psalm 17 a bit of a stretch. I feel like the wrong person to pray, “My righteous plea,” “Though you test me, you will find nothing,” and “…my feet have not slipped.”
When Fear Brings Abundance
When you are lying in bed and can’t fall asleep, what occupies your attention?
Making Sense of Senseless Loss
Making Sense of Senseless Loss July 31 Read: ROMANS 9:19-26 Early on in my life of faith, I lost a friend in a tragic, senseless car accident. I wanted answers. I wanted to make sense of his death. I went [...]
What Brings You Sorrow?
What Brings You Sorrow? July 30 Read: ROMANS 9:1-8 Many of Paul’s fellow Israelites do not believe that Jesus is indeed God’s Messiah sent to reconcile them and all of creation to God. Paul presents a theological puzzle in which [...]
The Surprising Value of God’s Kingdom
The Surprising Value of God’s Kingdom July 29 Read: MATTHEW 13:44-46 Small. Gentle. Quiet. Hidden. Yesterday, we looked at Jesus comparing God’s kingdom to a mustard seed. Here again we read a parable about God’s kingdom, and again this kingdom [...]
The Surprising, Invisible, Growing Kingdom
The Surprising, Invisible, Growing Kingdom July 28 Read: MATTHEW 13:31-33 Violence and disease spreading across the globe. Declining church attendance across Europe and the United States. Materialism, sexual promiscuity, and injustice. It is easy to think that God is absent. [...]
Becoming a Child before God
Becoming a Child before God July 27 Read: 1 KINGS 3:5-12 King Solomon is a man of power and prestige. Earlier in this passage, we learn that he has taken the throne, gotten married, and built a temple. He is [...]
Playing the Game of Life
Playing the Game of Life July 26 Read: PSALM 119:129-136 I’ve never been someone who watches a lot of professional sports. Recently, however, our kids have started playing soccer, baseball, and basketball, so I’ve needed to learn the rules of [...]
Reversals and Inversions
Reversals and Inversions July 25 Read: ISAIAH 55:10-13 Today’s reading portrays the joy and fullness of life centered on the word of God. God’s purposes infuse Scripture with an unstoppable force. The force of grace is visible as inversions and [...]