Wednesday, September 18, 2019 | Reflections
Today is the first of three Ember Days this week (Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday). Ember Days fall once in each season and are observed by clergy as days of fasting and prayer, a time for deep reflection on their vocation. Ember Days are also the appointed times for...
Tuesday, September 17, 2019 | Reflections
On the day they crucify Jesus, his limp body hanging on the cross, his followers hide—afraid for their lives as they recall the cries of the crowd: Crucify him! The regular folks who have gathered to watch the killing seem convinced that Jesus’ teachings are...
Monday, September 16, 2019 | Reflections
Years ago, I overheard a conversation between two engineers, one a Christian and the other, an Animist. The Christian asked, “Do you really believe that spirits live in rocks and trees and rivers and such?” The Animist asked, “Do you really believe that a man was...
Sunday, September 15, 2019 | Reflections
When I started going to church and preparing for baptism, my wife told me, “Whatever you do, don’t come back later and tell me you want to be a priest!” A few years later, I spent a long day working up the courage to tell my wife I thought I was being called to...
Saturday, September 14, 2019 | Reflections
Jesus’ ministry is invitational, not coercive. He responds to the faith of those who seek him with healing and wholeness—he does not demand their obeisance or obedience. Jesus reserves his sharpest words for those who impose barriers on loving responses to the world’s...
Friday, September 13, 2019 | Reflections
What the psalmist means by “safe” probably isn’t the same as our notion of it. We like to snuggle into our safe life, one without tremendous risk of injury (physical or emotional). We pray for our loved ones to be safe from all harm. But following Jes….(View...
Thursday, September 12, 2019 | Reflections
Every generation is confronted with the tension between short-term gains and God’s long-term plan, between the will to power and the will to love. Today, we see Ahab turn his back on God to worship another god, Baal, because doing so represents the path of least...
Wednesday, September 11, 2019 | Reflections
We live in a world that is, in some very real ways, infected by evil. From genocides and wars to racism and other forms of discrimination, evil snakes in and around us in insidious, awful ways. But thanks be to Jesus, we do not have to be slaves to evil...
Tuesday, September 10, 2019 | Reflections
The first time I really looked into my spouse’s eyes, I was smitten. I wanted to ask for a kiss, but I was too afraid. We are often more frightened by the possibility of something good happening than the certainty of something bad. It’s the same feeling that leads us...
Monday, September 9, 2019 | Reflections
At a certain point in my life, I came to realize that being wholly responsible for myself was not working out. I was broken, and the weight of my brokenness was overwhelming. Though my physical health was sound, I was in need of healing. I suspect that...
Sunday, September 8, 2019 | Reflections
Like many people, I struggle to live outside my own head. I find it easier to accept what the church teaches about Jesus than to make those ideas physically manifest in my life. Following Jesus and doing what he does takes a lot more effort than merely admiring him or...
Saturday, September 7, 2019 | Reflections
After two millennia, most Christians seem to have taken James’s advice to heart and have become very patient about the return of Jesus. I rarely encounter any real sense of urgency around mission or evangelism rooted in an imminent sense of Christ’s return. Without a...
Friday, September 6, 2019 | Reflections
When I was eleven, I was the target of a bully. I walked two miles out of my way to avoid going past his house on my way home from school. I withdrew from life and friends because I was afraid. Finally, with the support of adults who loved me, my bully problem was...
Thursday, September 5, 2019 | Reflections
Like the psalmist, we might proclaim that nice guys finish first, but many of us secretly harbor a preference for the rascals. We have aphorisms that reinforce this notion: If you can’t beat them, join them! You have to fight fire with fire. We say Everyone does it!...
Wednesday, September 4, 2019 | Reflections
“I hate you!” I could hardly believe the words spilling from my child’s mouth. How could someone so loved and cared for offer such unkindness? But I once said the same to my parents, and most parents I know have been on both ends of this dreaded interaction. We can...
