“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” I can’t remember the first time I heard this, but I’m confident it was after I had been verbally abused by another child. I imagine either my mom or an elementary school teacher handed this little quip down to me. I’ve since […]
How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust,And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done,And Your thoughts toward us;There is none to compare with You.If I would declare and speak of them,They would be
Peace is a simple concept, war is not. Growing up was scary at times. I remember turning on the TV, watching the news, even seeing grainy footage of absurdly named bombs, Fat Man and Little Boy, being dropped on the Japanese, and being really afraid of nuclear war. Looking back, the so-called “Cold War” produced fear on steroids. To a
The Complexities of War Read More »
God made us for Himself: that is the only explanation that satisfies the heart of a thinking man, whatever his wild reason may say. Should faulty education and perverse reasoning lead a man to conclude otherwise, there is little that any Christian can do for him. For such a man I have no message. —
When Blind Arrogance Trumps All But Our Prayer Read More »
“What are we celebrating?” This one question has been recurring from my pulpit for quite some time now. The context typically includes an admixture of invitation, partiality, oversight, and misguided emotions. The example most often mentioned concerns family (I’m speaking of blood relatives, particularly immediate family members). Family represents a natural petri dish for conflict.
It’s a typical Wednesday morning and the sun has finally decided to show its lovely face after a brief surrender to a patented New England let-me-darken-your-mood storm system. I know, I know, what would become of the green grass and the beautifully budding trees and flowers in the absence of life sustaining rain? Sometimes, I’m
Love and humility. What a pair. To abide in the first is to know the second. To know the second is to respond with the first. The dynamic is divinely orchestrated as a blessing for believers alone, a harmonious sphere of godliness. In the beginning [before Creation] was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. — 1 John 5:4 My congregation may not know it, but most days I preach from behind my pulpit, my heart is breaking. It’s the same love that compels me to serve/teach that
Just recently it occurred to me that my ministry has been very much characterized by the Parable of the Wedding Feast. As you read the passage below, remember the context; Jesus was speaking to the chief priests, the Pharisees, and the elders in the Jewish Temple, their most venerated place. Also keep in mind that, like
The Parable of the Wedding Feast Read More »
In case you haven’t seen the movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the main character is an alien from outer space who gets displaced from his family for a time, bonds with a young boy, and is protected by a small group of kids from those who would do him harm (the “evil” scientists and such). I know,
E.T. Has Nothing On Us Read More »