Archive for February 2016

Walk humbly  Tucked away into the book by the minor prophet Micah is one of my favorite verses, and one that should command our study and compliance. “He hath shewed thee O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of three but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly…

Meeting Jesus at the communion table  Matthew 28:20b  Last January, on the NC Synod’s tour of the Holy Land, we went to the Mount of Beatitudes on the north western shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is the site that has been acknow-ledged as the place where Jesus delivered his Sermon on the Mount.…

Reflection: You can see both suffering and resurrection in Bethlehem  “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”  John 11:25  Lent is a time of remembering Christ’s suffering and resurrection. You can see both suffering…

God rescued me from the pit  O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I…

God is more than I can comprehend  Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries.  1 Corinthians 4:1  This verse has become a favorite because it defines clearly my role as Christ’s servant and steward. It acknowledges that God is much more than I can ever comprehend. One…

The gift of fellowship  Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the father of lights, with whom there is no variation of shadow due to change.  James 1:17  James makes it clear that we need to act out our faith. With “time on my hands” these days…

Of churches and barns  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger…  Luke 2:7  Traveling though the Palestinian countryside on the bus, we passed a couple of Palestinian farms. It was January and cold, and seeing them reminded me of my growing…

God still holds on to you  “I am convinced that neither death, nor life…nor things present, nor things to come … nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:38  The voice on the telephone says, “… biopsy results ……

Reflection: Walking in the way of the Rabbi  Cherish your doubts, for doubt is the handmaiden of truth.  The New Union Prayer Book – Gates of Prayer – Page 711  In recent years I have focused more on Jesus the Rabbi than on Jesus the risen Christ. Visiting Palestine and walking where Jesus walked was…

Reflection: The Sea of Galilee  Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea -for they were fisher-men. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me…” As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John… Immediately he called…