The moment it happened, everyone noticed. A young, healthy football player falling to the ground and not moving is something nobody wants to see. The reaction was what amazed and fascinated me. Yes, there were the usual medical folks responding, the huddle of people around the injured, concerned and eager for good news. But then […]
Prayer
Last Wishes
(Read John 17) In Scripture, we have only a few examples of Jesus’ prayer life. Even Jesus had his private moments, when he laid his heart bare before God (see Hebrews 4:7). That is why this passage is so precious. We finally get a peek into his personal desires as expressed in prayer before his […]
Dirt, Dust, and Ashes
Ah, Ash Wednesday! What a bittersweet reminder of what we really are… Say what? Human beings began as dirt. It wasn’t the wholesome substance with which we are familiar and in which something might grow. No, according to Scripture, humans were created from dry dust. Genesis 2:7 makes it clear that God started with the […]
Fitting In
Mask or no mask? Sit/stand close or far away? Shake hands or bump elbows? Go inside or wait for delivery? It doesn’t matter where I am or what I’m doing. There are just too many unknowns any more. It isn’t just the pandemic-related issues, either. What pronoun do I use for this person I’m seeing […]
Thanks for the Hard Stuff
Here we are in the week between two major “thanks events” – Veterans Day and Thanksgiving Day. We have many reasons to be thankful for our veterans, and plenty to thank God for on our traditional day for it. But what about the in-betweens? I mean, the first is about the sacrifices made for us […]
Hard Times? God’s Joyful Command
I woke up a bit overwhelmed and sad this morning. The mess in Afghanistan, the earthquake in Haiti, and the hurricane hitting New Orleans (again!) all weighed on my spirit. Some of it is terrible! Other things in my life have been simply disappointing. But what do we do with all of it? I’m tired, […]
Politics for Keeps (Daniel 6)
(Click here to read the passage) With everything being turned into some sort of political issue, I think most of us are tired of politics. Polarization is draining at least, and destroys entire cultures at it’s worst. So, when I started preaching a series of sermons on the book of Daniel, I found myself in […]
Requesting Help from a Higher Authority (Luke 7:1-10)
(Click here to read the passage) We all seem to have a lot to pray about lately. Safety in a pandemic, mercy during difficult circumstances, provision when we don’t have enough. It’s almost overwhelming at times. We pray for many different reasons. We don’t always think of it this way, but when we pray, we’re […]
Even If…
Prayer is a very personal practice. Most folks I know would never pray in public unless they were reciting something they know by heart, like The Lord’s Prayer. And then they would only do that in a group. Our personal prayer lives are appropriately considered private territory. So, I’m going to share with you a […]