Thursday, January 9, 2020 | Reflections
From The Archives: Thursday, January 9, 1936People who live together learn to love each other. What a wonderful fact it is that just living in a family causes love to be born! Mutual service begets love, and in turn love makes service a joy. We love others because...
Wednesday, January 8, 2020 | Reflections
When someone takes on more than they can handle, we might say they are “drinking from a fire hose.” When we spiritually thirst and surrender ourselves to Christ, God tells us to get ready: The force of many waters is headed our way.If Christ’s living water is meant...
Tuesday, January 7, 2020 | Reflections
When my daughters were babies, it seemed their sole concern was getting from one meal to the next—sometimes from one spoonful to the next. Many of us live our whole lives like babies, drifting between attempts to satiate ourselves. We don’t always look to good sources...
Monday, January 6, 2020 | Reflections
For a sailor navigating dangerous waters on a stormy night, no sight is more reassuring than a lighthouse. A steady lighthouse with a strong light both assures wayfarers of safety and shows the path to it.Likewise, the light of Christ shows us the way home in the...
Sunday, January 5, 2020 | Reflections
Imagine the euphoria of the Magi when they first behold Christ. Seeing God incarnate, they are overwhelmed with joy. We are called to follow in their footsteps, to rejoice with that same fervor and zeal. Our spiritual journey, the focused walk of our lives of faith,...
Saturday, January 4, 2020 | Reflections
We spend more than $600 billion annually on global advertising. Every cent of that money tells us that if we just buy the next shiny thing, we’ll be happy. Jesus never offers us easy promises. At the cross, he calls us to imitate nothing less than God. If imitating...
Friday, January 3, 2020 | Reflections
A few years ago I was out of work for the first time in my adult life. I ended up finding a sales job and lived solely off commissions. Each week was an exercise in faith. Through that experience I learned to feed on the “food that endures for eternal life.” Jesus...
Thursday, January 2, 2020 | Reflections
From the Archives: Saturday, November 16, 1935 What is the teaching of Christ about: war and peace; the training of youth; the economic injustices of our day; race barriers? Review the resolutions you have made this week. Talk out these subjects with others. Agree...
Wednesday, January 1, 2020 | Reflections
My wife and I enjoy following the British royal family. Their weddings, children, daily lives—we are fascinated by the wealth and privilege we can’t hope to attain in this life. The reading from Galatians reminds us that we are far wealthier than any royal house....
Tuesday, December 31, 2019 | Reflections
New year’s resolutions are intended to make our lives better in some way. Better habits, more productivity, less stress. I think James is right to remind us that we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Today we stand on the precipice of clean slate, a fresh start, as...
Monday, December 30, 2019 | Reflections
New Sanctuary Coalition is an immigrant justice organization in New York that provides support and resources for immigrants: free legal clinics, court accompaniments, etc. They have made the very conscious choice to call all the people they work with friends—not...
Sunday, December 29, 2019 | Reflections
How against our very adult sensibilities it is to cry out to God as if a giddy child to a beloved parent. But God does indeed have for us perfect parental love—that unconditional, heart-bursting-out-of-your-chest love, a love that is deeply personal, bottomless, and...
Saturday, December 28, 2019 | Reflections
Have you ever assembled a tent? It’s not as simple as putting up some poles and throwing a tarp over them. To set up camp isn’t an arbitrary or fleeting action—it is a deliberate, intentional choice to settle in a place.To dwell somewhere—to abide—is setting up...
Friday, December 27, 2019 | Reflections
A seminary professor of mine, teaching about mission and evangelism, said: Remember: if it’s not working for you, don’t try to sell it to me.When I’m enthusiastic about a book, TV show, gadget, or a new store in my neighborhood, I eagerly share my feelings...
Thursday, December 26, 2019 | Reflections
In my years ministering in New York City, I have been especially humbled by people’s personal accounts of life on 9/11/2001. There are so many sensory and emotional details: the terror and fear, the smell of smoke, the ash that covered the city, the twelve miles I...
