Learning to love others the way Jesus loves us
The silence of God also does not mean the inactivity of God. (Twitter post, @songgirl127, April 16 2022) How long, O Lord? It was the cry of the prophets from Moses to Malachi. It was the cry of the early church under persecution. And it is the cry of many today in the face of… Continue reading When God seems silent
There is a tree on one of my running paths that I just love. A large branch covers the boardwalk and every year it gets just a little lower, a little heavier, and a little broader. I have dozens of pictures as the tree transforms through all four seasons. It is a little different every… Continue reading The Transformational nature of grace
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through… Continue reading Love, grace, and testimony
John 6:66-71 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus… Continue reading What Jesus?
For at least the last decade I have chosen a word for the year. I have various blog posts written for each one since 2011--except for 2019, and I suspect that one was something about completion or finishing strong since I was at the end of my PhD journey. 2020's word was wait. And did… Continue reading Today.
Oh, the irony of sound sometimes. There is no "getting back to normal." While I am confident the pandemic will run its course just as every other historical pandemic has done, the last two years have changed us all forever. While we can't know for sure what the world will be like as 2022 comes… Continue reading 2022 or 2020, too?
Christmas is just days away; the season of expectant waiting is coming to an end for this year. The culmination of Advent, the Incarnation of God into human form, bursts forth in songs of wonder, adoration, and joy. The first coming of Jesus we celebrate with gifts, food, and family visits that include a trip… Continue reading Still, Advent
Thoughts about Advent and Incarnation Part one The coming of the Promise. Fulfillment of prophecy in a mystery of yes and not yet. A baby born of a virgin on a not-so-silent night who grew up and changed the world, even to the marking of the calendar days. BC (before Christ) and AD (anno Domini)… Continue reading The Greatest Grace
I heard a song for the first time the other day and was moved by the message and the music. I appreciated the nod to old familiar hymns woven through. Mostly, though, I was struck by the focus on the blood of Jesus as the master key of salvation. We don't sing about the blood… Continue reading Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Theme: The Second Coming of Jesus: It's gonna be big and you'd better be ready. Context: Jesus had just pronounced woes on the religious leaders and lamented over Jerusalem. From the Temple, Jesus and his followers walked to the Mount of Olives, about 1 ¼ miles away. As they left the city, the disciples admired… Continue reading Matthew 24 group discussion questions
Defaulting to Grace 