Archive for February 2016

Triumphant losing  Please read 1 Corinthians 15:42-49  It was the beginning of my midlife years, the time in life when playing sports begins to get difficult. One is slower, less proficient and supremely sore after participating in an event. But the thrill is worth it all. We were men gathering on the field to play…

Walking in the light  “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”  John 8:12  When Susan asked me to consider a favorite passage of scripture that would contribute to this year’s Lenten devo-tional theme, my mind went right to John 8:12.…

Where is your quiet space?  Be still, and know that I am God.”  Psalm 46:10  A couple sent a Pack ’n’ Play portable crib to their friends who had been blessed with their fourth child. Two weeks later, the mother responded with this note: “Thanks, many thanks, and thanks again for the Pack ’n’ Play.…

We can serve  In the 10th chapter of Mark we read, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served; but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Jesus chose remote Nazareth over the bustling city of Jerusalem. He chose his dad’s carpentry shop over a marble-columned palace.…

Lifting my eyes to God our Father  I will lift up my eyes to the hills from which cometh my help. My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.  Psalm 121:1-2  I have always had a love affair with mountains. They make me feel as if I am closer to my father…

Reflection: The Garden of Gethsemane —  Digging our roots into God  And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.  Matthew 26:39  The Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus fell on…

Reflection: The Wadi Qelt — Letting go of this world’s idols  Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, com-mand…

God’s gifts of faith, hope and love  And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.  1 Corinthians 13:13  When I was 10, the abbreviation “ALS” and the name “Lou Gehrig” were popular topics of conversation in my home. I didn’t know exactly what these terms meant, but…

Walking the Lenten road with Jesus  He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.  Micah 6:8 (NIV)  As we journey through this Lenten Season, we also journey through an election year. It…