In this morning’s sermon we took a few moments to ponder the stars. I spoke about my friend Matt Harbison and his Orion Project. Click through to explore his full image and also listen to Laura Story’s song, “Indescribably.” Continue reading The Heavens Declare the Glory of God
For the most part, the peace Christ gives Christians in the present is an inner peace. Christ may very well save us from enemies, reconcile us with those we have become estranged from, or provide for us a season of financial security. God can and sometimes does do such things. Continue reading All Shall Be Well
One of the oldest stories in the Bible is the story of Job. Job was a righteous man who came under tremendous testing. His family died. His wealth vanished. His health failed so that by the time we find him in chapter 9, he is sitting in an ash heap with festering boils all over his body. He complains to his friends that God is too far removed from life on the ground to understand what it is like to be a suffering human being. Continue reading What is it like to be you?
This Advent season, I am reading a collection of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Christmas sermons. In one, he reminds us that throughout the Bible, talk of the Lord’s coming struck fear in the hearts of the original hearers. The prophets spoke of the day of God’s arrival as a day of reckoning. This is why Bonhoeffer would write, “The coming of God is not only a message of joy, but also fearful news for anyone who has a consience.” Continue reading A Fearful Christmas?
Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Jesus, in Matthew 10:34. Yesterday, we spent time looking at some of my favorite passages about the peace that God brings. Modern search engines make it easy to discover all the places the Bible talks about peace in a matter of miliseconds. … Continue reading Peace…after division
In the second week of Advent, Christians take time to reflect upon the peace that Christ gives. Christ brings us peace by making it clear that we are not alone. He is Immanuel, God with us. Christ brings us peace by assuring us that our sins have been forgiven. Our sins will not be counted against us. We have been pardoned by the blood of Christ. Christ brings us peace by promising to one day set all things right once and for all. Continue reading Advent: Peace
All week, we’ve been thinking about the interplay between hope and waiting. Because we have a firm hope that Christ will come again, we can wait paitently on the Lord. In his book, The Source of Life, Jürgen Moltmann looks at hope and waiting from a different angle and reminds us that jus as we wait on God, so too does God wait on us. Continue reading God’s first love
What makes the difference between hope and anxiety in a life? What allows a person to live with an assurance about tomorrow even while today is falling apart, while another person falls apart thinking about tomorrow even though they have everything they need today? Continue reading Facing the Future: Fear, Distraction, or Hope?
It’s only December 2nd, and yet, many of us may already be tired of waiting for Christmas to arrive. For some of us, especially the little ones among us, it’s difficult to wait for the presents to arrive. For others, our struggles with waiting take an entirely different form. This year’s troubles may have already exhausted our patience. Continue reading Waiting Together
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1 [This is a condensed version of a sermon I preached in March. We just thought we were learning to wait back then.] In the Bible, waiting and hope go together. Over and over again, those who have hope wait patiently on the Lord. Most of us modern folks are … Continue reading When Waiting is Doing
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