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Last week I had the privilege of speaking to Eastern University’s Campolo Scholars – students who are considering a call to parish ministry. I was asked to speak about the role of scripture in shaping Christian community.
What is the role of scripture in shaping our…..
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Our deepest freedom rests not in our freedom to do what we want to do but rather in our freedom to become who God wills us to be. —James Finley
The Old Testament Josiah stands out as one of the few kings of Israel credited for his goodness in the eyes of the Lord. In the wake of his father’s abuses of the faith and desecration of the Temple, Josiah focused his reign on…..
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By my count, we’ve now accumulated more the fifty days in our current lockdown mode. I’m sure I could easily cite fifty reasons I wish it were over already.
In the forefront lies the recognition that, as someone very cleverly put it, “We’re not all in the same boat; we’re all in the same storm.” We are not suffering equally, and it’s frustrating to feel the limitations of what I can do to be helpful in…..
The gospel writer John narrates Jesus’ encounter with Pilate (John 18:33-38):
33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people…..
When “Amazing Grace” proclaims, “I once was lost, but now am found,” it resonates with Christians. We celebrate ourselves as “found” people, humans transformed because they know God loves them.
But the notion of being a “found” people can easily give way to an untrue corollary: once found, you’ll never be…..
In my daily reading material I hear a lot about gratitude lately. People have even studied it scientifically, observing the positive effect of thankfulness on the biochemistry of the brain. Added to all the anecdotal evidence, it’s an easy sell to say that it’s good for humans to be…..
While we readily acknowledge love as the most powerful force in the universe, we often discount the vulnerability of loving.
Who of us has not felt the frustration of loving someone so much, being so sure we know what is best for him or her, and then not being…..
Is there anything worse than being sick with a dreadful cold or flu and realizing you can’t stay in bed?
Illness doesn’t exempt us from our responsibilities and at the very least we have to find someone to take our place if we can’t show up for work or…..
When we read Exodus’s story of Israel’s flight into the desert, we usually observe the fickleness of the Hebrews – how they praise God one minute and turn around and complain the next. But when we find ourselves in our own spiritual wilderness period, it’s pretty easy to find things to grouse about.
…..
Trust is valuable. We want people we trust and aspire to being trustworthy.
Yet, like so many precious things, it’s fragile. Once broken, it’s challenging to reassemble.
Such a valuable commodity predictably requires delicacy. Yet when we speak of building trust, we forget that it can also be a pretty messy and graceless process.
Let’s…..