Tag Archives: Discipleship

Beyond Fandom

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To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here I am a stark raving fan of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, the 1970s British progressive rock group. Classic rock stars are a disappearing breed, of course, and in 2016 the world lost both Keith Emerson and Greg Lake. Therefore my last chance to connect personally with ELP is Carl Palmer, widely… Read more »

Carry Your Cross

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To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here Last month the world lost a one-of-a-kind character. Arthur Blessitt, a self-described hippie minister, died on January 14 at the age of 84 after a lifetime of crisscrossing the planet hauling a 12-foot cross. By his own reckoning, he walked 43,340 miles – that’s about 86 million steps – through 323… Read more »

The Miraculous Catch of Fish

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To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here Every day during this season of Lent we’re looking at the miracles of Jesus – his spectacular displays of supernatural power that are reported in the Gospels.     A dad joke for fishermen:  What did the magician say to the fisherman?  Pick a cod, any cod. Mom’s fishing wisdom:  Give a… Read more »

A New Teacher

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To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here You are somebody’s disciple. Somebody helped you reach the place where you are today. Actually, you are the disciple of a great many somebodies. There are some people, no doubt, from whom you consciously chose to learn.  Other people taught you key life lessons (both healthy and unhealthy) even while you hardly suspected what was… Read more »

The Name Game

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For the four weeks leading up to and going beyond Easter, let’s take a look at the life of Peter.  Because he’s so often at the center of both the brightest and darkest moments in the Gospels, he has always been a source of hope and inspiration for those endeavoring to follow Jesus.   Josef Stalin, the brutal dictator who ruled… Read more »

Generation to Generation

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Throughout July we’re taking an in-depth look at Proverbs, the Bible’s one-of-a-kind book about our never-ending need for wisdom. Author Ben Patterson describes an experience that has been common to many Westerners, especially missionaries, when they arrive at the edge of dense Amazon rain forests and ask for directions. “I have a compass, a map, and some coordinates,” they will… Read more »

Oil in My Lamp

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Throughout Lent, we’re exploring the parables of Jesus – the two dozen or so stories that were his chief means of describing the reality of God’s rule on earth.  In ancient times there was nothing quite like a wedding in a Middle Eastern village. Even though Say Yes to the Dress was still 2,000 years away, bridal parties knew how… Read more »

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

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How often does the average person touch his or her cell phone? The answer seems to be “more than you can possibly imagine.”  According to the research firm dscout, typical owners of mobile devices touch their phones 2,617 times a day.  And we’re not even talking about so-called extreme users.  The most serious addicts, who represented the top 10% of… Read more »

Right about Everything

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Christians go to war with each other over the dumbest things. Church consultant Thom Rainier has seen it all.  There are the usual hot button issues, such as disagreements over the ideal temperature in the sanctuary, the right color of carpeting, and the most God-honoring order of worship.  Then there are the issues that defy imagination.  One congregation fought over… Read more »