Forward Day By Day – January 1, 2020

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....

Forward Day By Day – December 31, 2019

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...

Forward Day By Day – December 30, 2019

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...

Forward Day By Day – December 29, 2019

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...

Forward Day By Day – December 28, 2019

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...

Forward Day By Day – December 27, 2019

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...

Forward Day By Day – December 26, 2019

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...

Forward Day By Day – December 25, 2019

There is no news better than this: The fullness of God in Christ Jesus has come to restore all of creation. It’s what every prophecy has pointed toward. We can hardly wait to tear off the wrapping paper and enjoy this gift.The gift-wrapping is dingy bands of cloth....

Forward Day By Day – December 24, 2019

Jesus comes among us as a baby fresh from his mother’s womb and continues gathering children close to him throughout his ministry. A little boy provides the fish and bread that feed 5,000. Jesus raises Jairus’s daughter to life again. Jesus pulls children near to him...