Being Christian Without Losing Your Mind
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)
Job 23:1-9; Job 23:16-17 Job is an amazingly contemporary book. The words of an anonymous Hebrew writer living in a confusing, painful time give voice to our spirits today. Lingering with the passages above, you can find three things to remember when you are facing a grueling situation that may appear utterly hopeless. Be honest. …
Read moreMONDAY MEDITATION: Suffering, Part One–The Three B’s (November 11, 2019)
Ephesians 3:1-7 The world continues spinning because of competition. You have winners and losers. The winners reap the harvest of success, while the losers look at the celebration from the visitors’ dugout. Before his conversion, the apostle Paul had lived his life in relentless competition. He wanted to prove how his way of living, being …
Read moreMONDAY MEDITATION: When You Can’t Find an Enemy (November 4, 2019)
Acts 8:9-25 Superstitions are irrationally ground into the human psyche. Something bad once happened when you walked under a ladder. So, to determine your fate, don’t walk under ladders. Magic is the next step up. It’s the illusion that you can control things in a mystical way. Simon the Great was a magician who gave …
Read moreMONDAY MEDITATION: Superstition and Magic (October 28, 2019)
2 Corinthians 5:16-20 This disclaimer, tagged at the end of an investment opportunity, usually means that just because something good happened in the past, it doesn’t guarantee it will happen in the future. But there’s another way to look at it. As a college student, I was once caught in an horrific ice storm/blizzard. Wind-driven …
Read moreMONDAY MEDITATION: “Past Performance Does Not Guarantee Future Results” (October 21, 2019)
Joshua 6:1-5 God would have flunked West Point. With a walled city and its skilled army blocking your path, what’s your strategy? March around it for seven days then blow your trumpet. The walls will tumble down. Right. Yet there’s something both wise and refreshing in this old tale told around Hebrew campfires. I’ve spent …
Read moreMONDAY MEDITATION: The Power of Silly (October 14, 2019)
Mark 9:2-9 Taking selfies is such a fun thing to do. But why do we do it? With iPhone in hand, we can release our inner toddler. “Look at me! Look at me!” Why else would we want to interject ourselves into a panoramic sunset or a chance meeting with a celebrity? If Peter had …
Read moreMONDAY MEDITATION: Selfies Gone Bad (October 7, 2019)