MONDAY MEDITATION: Flying (November 25)

I know the experience of being in need and of having more than enough; I have learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance, whether full or hungry or whether having plenty or being poor. — Philippians 4:12 In the picture above, Barb and I are about to fly the Atlantic, 8+ hours, and …

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Going Back to Church

Since retiring a few years ago, I’ve been adrift from congregational life. I’ve followed the mandate that you separate yourself from the last congregation to which you’ve been appointed. That gives the new pastor the opportunity to form relationships that are important for pastoral duties. In this outside-church period, I’ve discovered how difficult it is …

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MONDAY MEDITATION: That’s Worship (November 18)

God saw everything he had made: it was supremely good. There was evening and there was morning: the sixth day. — Genesis 1:31 One evening my wife opened a box and found a long-ago picture of our kids. Our son was around 7 and our daughter, 2. Their smiles are boundless in that photo. They’re beaming, …

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MONDAY MEDITATION: Fear, Love, and Angels (November 11)

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear. — 1 John 4:18 While half the country rejoiced when Donald Trump was reelected, the other half felt the opposite. I was in the latter group, and the predominant emotion for me was fear. Based on what I heard our president-elect say on the campaign trail, questions easily kept …

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MONDAY MEDITATION: Election Day Eve (November 4)

Since we belong to the day, let’s stay sober, wearing faithfulness and love as a piece of armor that protects our body and the hope of salvation as a helmet. — 1 Thessalonians 5:8 Tomorrow promises to be one of the most contentious, nerve-wracking elections ever. It’s helpful to put things in perspective from a …

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MONDAY MEDITATION: When My Sister Visited (October 14)

Teach us to number our days so we can have a wise heart. — Psalm 90:12 My sister and I, both in our 70’s, have made a pact. Each year we’re going to get together, somewhere, sometime. She’s in Florida and I’m in Missouri. Recently she visited me here in St. Louis. On one day, we journeyed to …

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MONDAY MEDITATION: The Generosity of Death (October 7)

“I assure you that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it can only be a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.” — John 12:24 There’s a generosity behind death that we’re seldom aware of. When you die, you are allowing others to live. The food you would have eaten …

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