Tuesday, May 22, 2018 | Reflections
What does the Spirit sound like? The wind rushing through the leaves. The birds chirping and searching for cover. The pitter patter of rain landing on the ground. The morning darkness giving way to nourishment for the gardens and crops. The Spirit making its...
Monday, May 21, 2018 | Reflections
The first time I came across the name Beelzebul was while reading William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies. A group of young boys crash onto a deserted island and discover a mysterious spirit living in the forest. The spirit’s identity as Beelzebul is gradually...
Monday, May 21, 2018 | Reflections
When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. (Jn 15:26) When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth (Jn 16:13). Balloons, red streamers, a...
Monday, May 21, 2018 | Reflections
The post Living in the Spirit appeared first on d365 Daily Devotionals. This post appeared here first: Living in the Spirit [D365 Daily Devotions]
Sunday, May 20, 2018 | Reflections
Today, we celebrate the Holy Spirit’s power and ability to spread the gospel in abundant and surprising ways. At the same time, we bid farewell to the Book of Acts with a sober reminder about the hardness of the human heart. Paul spends his final days in Rome...
Sunday, May 20, 2018 | Reflections
John 20:19-31 “No, really,” he said, “The reign of sin is over. You’re free.” “I’m with you, buddy.” You’ve probably heard that idiom and probably used it. It just means, I agree with you. It’s...
Saturday, May 19, 2018 | Reflections
A Disney cruise isn’t something I would usually take as a child-free adult. But there I was, on the Big Red Boat. One night, I went to the top deck and saw a whole line of other cruise ships off in the distance. When I asked a crew member where those ships were going,...
Saturday, May 19, 2018 | Reflections
Matthew 9:18-26 Everybody seems to have one Bible story that they remember more easily than others or like better for some reason. The gospel for the Daily Office today is one of my particular favorites. There is so much going on, and there are so many aspects...
Friday, May 18, 2018 | Reflections
They shall perish, but you will endure; they all shall wear out like a garment; as clothing you will change them, and they shall be changed; ~Psalm 102: 26 When I started college, one of the first friends I made came from our shared interest in the ElfQuest...
Friday, May 18, 2018 | Reflections
Insanity. Foolishness. Drunkenness. These accusations are made frequently against Paul and the other early followers of the Way. At Pentecost, the disciples are accused of being drunk. Paul famously calls himself a fool for Christ. And in this reading, Felix accuses...
Thursday, May 17, 2018 | Reflections
Paul’s Roman citizenship comes into play once again. Technically, at this point in history every Roman citizen has the right to appeal their case to the Emperor. Yet the Roman justice system—with its tribunes and appeals to the emperor—largely exists only for the...
Thursday, May 17, 2018 | Reflections
Matthew 9:1-8 I harbor a sneaky form of pride that I often don’t recognize as such because it manifests as self-criticism. I fall short of my expectations of myself, fall prey to a debilitating shame, and judge myself harshly. And while it’s not...
Wednesday, May 16, 2018 | Reflections
As Paul’s trial heats up, it’s important to understand the specific charge being brought against him. Paul is accused of being an agitator—a charge signifying political sedition. This is a serious charge in the Roman Empire—the same one leveled against Jesus and many...
Wednesday, May 16, 2018 | Reflections
A hundred years ago, or so, when they took my tonsils out, hospitals didn’t let families stay with their small patients. And they kept you for months (okay, maybe a week)! As luck would have it, my mother worked next door to the hospital and could visit on her lunch...
Tuesday, May 15, 2018 | Reflections
The Treasury Room at the Cloisters Museum in New York houses an English altar cross carved from walrus ivory. It includes images of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Hebrew prophets, and a beautiful ancient tree—and disturbing invectives against Jews. The altar cross...
