The message is so simple we may miss it! Learning about God and his loving care for us, begins when we crawl into Jesus’ arms, relax and trust Him to hold us . . .
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Psalms for Holy Week (III)
Easter Morning Part III: Psalms of Resurrection _______________ The Psalms have been the source of comfort and strength to Jews and Christians for centuries because they not only reveal truth about God and righteousness, but expose the heartfelt hopes, dreams, struggles, fears and emotions that are part of being human. Michael F. Bird points to Read More…
Psalms for Holy Week (II)
As Jesus bowed his head in death his final words were spoken, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit (Luke 23:46).” This was his prayer of reunion. Having faithfully fulfilled the mission on which the Father had sent him, Jesus returned home to live forever with his Father.
Psalms for Holy Week
Part I: The Psalm of Abandonment _____________ Michael F. Bird asked a provocative but obvious question: “How did the early [church] preach about Jesus if they did not have a New Testament?” He answers his own question by pointing to the Old Testament, the only Scripture the church possessed in her earliest years. Particularly, Bird Read More…
If My People Who Are Called by My Name
Since the beginning of the coronavirus my mind has returned time and again the ancient, often-repeated insight and promise found in II Chronicles 7:14:
… 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
This Scripture, understood in the full context of God’s word, provides not only a promise of healing but guidance for our prayer.
Again and Again and Again!!!
Seven days; thirty-four dead, sixty-five injured and a nation once more traumatized. What should Christians do?
Ending the Cycle of Conflict in the United Methodist Church
A draining cycle of conflict now grips the United Methodist Church. This past February that conflict was exposed in all its raw pain at the 2019 Special Session of the General Conference. As time distances us from the emotion of St. Louis perhaps we can see something more than accusations, recrimination, and claims of harm Read More…
REFLECTIONS ON THE SUTHERLAND SPRINGS CHURCH SHOOTINGS
Not long after leaving worship this past Sunday we began receiving reports of the mass shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. We now know that twenty-six people died and ten others were wounded. Violence once again shocked us and our world. My heart was broken as I heard the initial news and Read More…
Taming the Tongue in a Twitter World
Many believe we live in a time of increased incivility both in society and in the church. A plethora of evidence lies only a tweet, Facebook post, or op-ed news cast away. I am inclined to believe that human beings are neither more nor less capable of incivility now than we ever were. Rather, more Read More…
God, Incarnation and Christmas Lunch at Palomino’s
Our time together began as a pleasant time for our son, Geoff, to join his grandmother and parents for a sumptuous Christmas luncheon at a fashionable restaurant in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Our time concluded with a poignant and graphic reminder of the fragile and temporary nature of our very lives. Our four-top table was situated Read More…