Being Christian Without Losing Your Mind
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 …
Read moreMONDAY MEDITATION: Channeling Dr. Seuss (January 20, 2020)
“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? …
Read moreMONDAY MEDITATION: Just Have Fun (January 13, 2020)
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 …
Read moreMONDAY MEDITATION: The Best New Year's Resolution Ever (January 6, 2020)
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. …
Read moreMONDAY MEDITATION: Singing at Your Wedding (December 30, 2019)
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, …
Read moreMONDAY MEDITATION: An Alternative Christmas Story (December 23, 2019)
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 …
Read moreMONDAY MEDITATION: Important Poop (December 16, 2019)
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 …
Read moreMONDAY MEDITATION: “Go Away from Me!” (December 9, 2019)
The Word became flesh and made his home among us. We have seen his glory, glory like that of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. — John 1:14 The stereotype of Christians is that they don’t like to have fun and, when they do, it makes them nervous. Perhaps that’s because the …
Very early in the morning on the first day of the week, the women went to the tomb, bringing the fragrant spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away. –Luke 24:1-2 I was honored to know a college student, Jill, who had lived all her life fighting cystic fibrosis. One Thanksgiving, though, her struggle …
Read moreMONDAY MEDITATION: A Different Thanksgiving (November 25, 2019)
Job 42:9-17 Job’s sufferings end when God appears in a whirlwind and has a heart-to-soul conversation with him. What’s VERY interesting, though, is what happens afterwards. In the above verses, three things leap off the page. Job prays for his friends. His friends haven’t exactly been friendly to him. They’ve held to the fantasy, “You’re …
Read moreMONDAY MEDITATION: Suffering, Part Two–After You’ve Seen God (November 18, 2019)