Being Christian Without Losing Your Mind
I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. — Jeremiah 29:11 This verse from Jeremiah is one of the most inspirational in the Bible. I remember stumbling upon it while in a dark period of …
Most of the brothers and sisters have had more confidence through the Lord to speak the word boldly and bravely because of my jail time. — Philippians 1:14 The older we get, the easier it becomes to have self-pity. Bad things happen and we respond with the eternal, “Why me?” Paul, though, had a different …
Carry each other’s burdens and so you will fulfill the law of Christ. — Galatians 6:2 The horror of the elementary school murders in Uvalde has followed the script with which we’ve become all too familiar. Shock. Pain. Grief. Sorrow. Outrage. Calls for gun restrictions. Thoughts and prayers. There was one reaction that surprised me, though. …
It feels as if we’re living in the shadow of a bad-news tsunami, doesn’t it? The poster boy for these times is Putin, with his blatant disregard for life while spewing nuclear threats. But throw in a populist movement fueled by an ex-President living in his own reality; a racial tension provoking violent school board …
She put [her baby son Moses] in the basket and set the basket among the reeds at the riverbank. The baby’s older sister stood watch nearby to see what would happen to him. – Exodus 2:3b-4 History shows how evil seems to be genetic in humanity. Just look at Pharaoh, who ordered the killing of male …
If I said, “The darkness will definitely hide me; the light will become night around me,” even then the darkness isn’t too dark for you…because darkness is the same as light to you! – Psalm 139:11-12 The default setting on the dial of my soul is getting out of dark times as quickly as possible. …
Sometimes I mistake wishful thinking for Christian hope. I like to believe that the world is incrementally inching down a path leading to the kingdom values Jesus talked about. Becoming more aware of issues, confronting injustice in varying forms, advocating for climate stewardship: all these things, aided by technology and instant communication, are hopeful. Then …
A dead man was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When he saw her, the Lord had compassion for her and said, “Don’t cry.” – Luke 7:12b-13 The times that made me question my pastoral calling were when people faced …
If you live on the basis of selfishness, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the actions of the body, you will live. – Romans 8:13 United Methodist Bishop Robert Schnase is from Texas. When he was assigned to Missouri, it was a weather-shock to him. The sub-freezing …
Jesus said to someone else, “Follow me.” He replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. But you go and spread the news of God’s kingdom.” – Luke 9:59-60 On the farm we grew corn. I hated growing corn. It was hot work harvesting …