Being Christian Without Losing Your Mind
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I am relieved by the proposal recently hammered out by the inclusive, high-level mediating group dealing with the future of our denomination. If it ends up being presented at, and approved by, the 2020 General Conference in May, then the decades-old wrangling over gay ordination and same-sex marriage may finally come to an end. It …
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.–Revelation 21:1-2 And to Think That …
“Yet [I] came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’” –Matthew 11:19a One evening at bedtime, I asked my son Cameron, who was five, what he’d like to thank God for. He replied, of course, “I don’t know.” “Well, what makes you happy? …
Luke 18:35-19:10 The two characters in the passage from Luke aren’t very lovable. One is a whiny blind beggar with an attitude problem. The other is a corrupt businessman who extorts taxes from his fellow citizens. Social media would have lit up these two men. Insults, stereotypes, rumors. But since such postings wouldn’t happen for …
He will rest in His love for you; He will joyfully sing because of you like a new husband. – Zephaniah 3:17 (The Voice) I’ve officiated at hundreds of weddings. Each was unique and special. There was one, though, that made a lasting impression on me. It was that of a young couple, freshly graduated from college. …
If you’re looking for book suggestions for 2020, you can find some ideas at the Book of the Month page on my website. Each month I post a selection that has been thought provoking and helpful to me. Maybe you’ll find one or two that might interest you. There’s a link on each selection where …
The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you. Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. –Luke 1:30-31 If I were God, I would have arranged things differently. First, no angel during Mary and Joseph’s engagement. That way they could have had the traditional, multi-day, …
But even beyond that, I consider everything a loss in comparison with the superior value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have lost everything for him, but what I lost I think of as sewer trash, so that I might gain Christ. –Philippians 3:8 Paul was graphic at times, a reflection of his uncensored …
Earlier this month, Nancy Pelosi had a heated exchange with a reporter who asked if she hated President Trump. “As a Catholic, I resent your using the word hate in a sentence that addresses me. I don’t hate anyone,” she said, adding that she prays for the president. This is an admirable statement, and certainly is …
Luke 5:1-11 This is what Peter said to Jesus out of sheer terror. The fisherman had been instructed by Jesus to do something counter-intuitive. He told Peter to fish a certain way and Peter, the experienced fisherman, knew 100% that it wouldn’t work. But it did, and that’s where the problem lay. Jesus, then and …