Learning to love others the way Jesus loves us
Affection Read Romans 12:3-18 Pray that the Lord will open your mind and heart to hear His voice. How can we show affection to one another in a culture that thrives on division? No one will argue that the last three years have made people unified, bonded, and more committed to loving when the contrary… Continue reading Beloved: Reflection 2
A word from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The pathway to peace Prayer from Anglican Book of Common Prayer Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us. As we are sorely hindered by our sins from running the race that is set before us, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us, through Jesus Christ… Continue reading Advent 2022 week 4
O come Emmanuel, our glorious hope Veni, veni Emmanuel Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel, Nascetur pro te, Israel! Music holds listeners in ways that words often cannot. Throughout history, music has continually reflected legacy, loss, longing, love, and lament. Biblical songs appear as early as the Exodus (Exodus 15) and continue through John's revelation (Revelation 15). The… Continue reading Exiles, still
Week of November 27 The Promise of Hope Isaiah 55 Prayer from Anglican Book of Common Prayer Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son, Jesus Christ, came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day,… Continue reading Advent 2022-week one
Sometimes the most direct path is not a straight line #inspiredbyasermon Mark 7:31-37 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him… Continue reading Of circuitous routes and cleansing sighs
The Feast of Trumpets A new year means both reflection and rejoicing A Good Year Leviticus 23: 23-25 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy… Continue reading Shanah Tovah: שנה טובה
The God who worked wonders in the past is faithful to keep His promises still (Psalm 77:14; Psalm 86:15). To say we live in troubling times is an understatement. Every day some new catastrophe floods the news cycles: natural disasters, crime, social issues, education, politics, and uncertainty about the economy threaten our personal well-being and… Continue reading Faithful through the Ages
Sometimes God's answer to prayer is us. remix: Hanna-Barbera/Justice League Wonder Twins (CC BY-NC-SA) My brothers and I grew up in the 1970s. Saturday mornings were for cartoons of fantastical places and magical powers (and the occasional monster-puppet.) Typically, some distraught character would cry out for help and in the blink of an eye, a… Continue reading Activate!
The songs we sing as we worship matter. Photo by Alexander Wark on Unsplash Sunday morning music can be uplifting, moving, theological, inspiring, and introspective. Music can set the mood, prepare the heart and mind for the sermon, and connect the singers to the practice and experience of worship. Sunday morning services have a predictable rhythm: a song… Continue reading Remix, hymns, and theology
Defaulting to Grace 