“O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence” to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome deeds that weRead More →
Thanksgiving . . . And Giving Thanks Throughout this Thanksgiving weekend, various groups of people gather for a meal, sharing food and companionship, with each group and each meal exceptional in its own way. Seeing TV reports of huge crowds at airports and heavy traffic on the highways emphasizes howRead More →
Simple . . . But Not Easy It’s that time of year when a pot of soup simmering on the stove certainly makes a house feel (and smell) extra homey. Anyone walking in the door stops to take an appreciative sniff of the fragrant blend of vegetables and seasonings. LastRead More →
Speaking The Language Have you ever found yourself in a place where you couldn’t understand a word of the language being spoken all around you? I certainly haven’t, but I imagine it must be about as disorienting an experience as one could have. I can at least identify and probablyRead More →
We’re Not Angels . . . But We’re Saints! Greetings, fellow saints! Happy All Saints Sunday to one and all, and wishing you many more to come! For the introduction to a devotional meditation, this sounds on the inappropriate side. All Saints Sunday is an occasion of mixed emotions, asRead More →
“God is Our Refuge and Strength… A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; Read More →
God’s Foolishness “For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiserRead More →
Grace Freely Bestowed “He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:5-6) Any time you need an image of pure, unbridledRead More →
This past week has been another time in our nation filled with grief, fear, anger, and a frustrating sense of helplessness. Many of us probably feel that no place is really safe – our churches, our schools, our workplaces, public venues – none seem secure and safe any more. CertainlyRead More →
Growing Like a Weed As last week’s unseasonably hot, dry weather continued, I ran a slow stream from the hose on a number of perennials in the back yard, thinking I’d better give them a good watering before they went dormant. Some were a little droopy, others weren’t noticeably dry,Read More →