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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…..
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.
In the…..
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…..
I spent a lot of my day recently jumping through bureaucratic hoops. I had calls to make where I listened to a lot of music, forms to fill out online that didn’t work the first time and had to be re-entered, and then I had to take notes and make copies documenting all my progress so…..
How do we cope with the down times in our lives? Where should we turn when we feel spiritually dry, when nothing in our lives feels productive, and circumstances conspire to discourage us from actions we thought were important?
In short, what can we do when we’re “spiritually” depressed?
It’s in these times that I think the…..
While looking for inspiration this week I decided to open the Bible randomly and see what turned up. I came to Psalm 77:11-12 (The Message):
Once again I’ll go over what God has done,
Lay out on the table the ancient wonders;
I’ll ponder all the things you’ve accomplished,
…..
This story reminds us that when God asks us to do something hard, the Lord will supply us with the assurance we need to accomplish it (Judges 6-7).
He looked like an ordinary man, but it struck me strange that I’d never seen him before. Neither had I seen him arrive;…..
In the next two weeks I turn to the Old Testament where examples of people asking for God’s help abound.
In this imaging of Ruth 1, I focus on Ruth’s boldness. Naomi thought having sons would bring her happiness. See what God had in mind instead.
By my…..