I have been sitting in the post-resurrection passages during this time of year known as Eastertide. (Thanks to the folks at Lectio365.) Today we were in John 21:15-19. One of the things that caught my eye was the way John see-saws between the two identities of the fearful, forceful, flaky Read more…
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied. — Matthew 5:6 God uses famine to satisfy His people. We know so little of famine in our country. Droughts that cause crop failure are limited in their effect because our transportation system is so vast Read more…
Grief. That word often conjures a picture of a woman in tears over the dead body of a loved one… or the hollow-eyed, soot-stained face of a child bereft and alone in a bombed-out house. God promises to bless with comfort those who mourn. Jesus’ words on the mountain where Read more…
When we have an invasion, plague, or onslaught of (unwelcome) critters, it usually doesn’t take long for me to start asking, “Okay, God. What are You after?” (If you’ve been following me for a while, this is not unfamiliar territory. If you haven’t, this is part of following Jesus in Read more…
No, I am not dead. I have, however, been buried! Directing the drama portion of our church’s vacation Bible school meant two weeks of 14-hour days, then another week of 10 hour days, followed in less than a week by a long-weekend camping trip with a dozen teens. Whew! Great Read more…
So…It’s kind of like crabgrass. It starts out soft and bright green. It feels good on bare feet, the chickens enjoy grazing on it and it is a welcome sight after the brown of winter. And then it happens: Seed stalks begin to grow. Not just upright, they lay down Read more…
Sitting in my recently restored quiet space, I saw my little flock of chickens pecking at the greens whose abundant leaves lean against the garden fence. They love the greens, and their beaks don’t reach very far. It’s a reasonable arrangement. A few days ago, however, the fence was left Read more…
One very everyday thing is the news. The headlines are alarming. The trends are disheartening. The need for prayer is great, the list long. It can be overwhelming, and anxiety-producing. Jesus says not to fear nor be anxious, but to take heart and never stop praying. Good luck with that…I Read more…
She was old, though not as old as she seemed. The years of stress and cigarettes had stripped her of beauty. Macular degeneration had robber her of most of her sight, small strokes were diminishing her ability to remember, and what she did “remember” became suspect, and cancer was already Read more…
If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and Read more…