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
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
The Lord is good John 15:1-8; Psalm 34:8; 1 John 4:7-17; Galatians 5:22-23 The late 1960s were tumultuous times in the US. Not unlike today, there were protests and riots over political statements, racism, sexuality, and the role of the Church in society. In that chaos, Peter Scholtes penned the words to "They'll know we… Continue reading Taste and see: Part five
For the next few days I will ponder the book of Galatians. Paul opens this letter with his credentials. As a scholar, I understand the importance of leading with my resume. If people are going to pay attention to my scholarship, I have to demonstrate my expertise early. That demonstration is also tailored to the… Continue reading Galatians
January 21, 2020 There are some days when I don't have a solid plan for my Bible study. Having just finished Habakkuk, today was one of those days. Perhaps it was the recollection Dr. ML King's work during yesterday's holiday, but my eyes landed on Amos 5:24, "But let justice roll down like waters, and… Continue reading Let justice roll
January 20 Habakkuk listened to the Lord's plan for Judah in horror and confusion, but his knowledge of God's character helped him work out his response. Chapter 3 is Habakkuk wrapping his brain around the juxtaposition of mercy and judgment in the circumstances of imminent catastrophe in order to save. He plead with God for… Continue reading Joy is a choice
January 18, 2020 Wait, what? Habakkuk 1:12-2:20. One of the things I love about the prophets is that they are just like most of us. God had just told Habakkuk that the Chaldeans were going to ransack Judah to deal with the evil people there. Habakkuk couldn't make sense of it. He put what he… Continue reading Wait, what?
January 17, 2020 "How long?" Habakkuk asked the question sometime around 600 b.c.e. but we're still asking. Why don't you do something? Why do the wicked people seem to thwart justice and ignore the law without penalty?(My paraphrase of Habakkuk 1:3-4.) I read an article on Medium this morning that started with the notion that… Continue reading How long?
Defaulting to Grace 