To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here Over the years I’ve had the privilege of officiating at a number of weddings. On the whole, those brides and grooms have had very little in common. Some have been tall and some have been short. Some have been quiet, while others have been exuberant. Some would have jumped at the chance to… Read more »
To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here There are two kinds of trapeze artists: flyers and catchers. Flyers get most of the love. They make amazing leaps. They do somersaults in mid-air. But as devotional writer Henri Nouwen pointed out, the real heroes are the catchers. In his book Our Greatest Gift: A Meditation on Dying and Caring, Nouwen writes: … Read more »
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. Real people of faith have real doubts. Maybe you’ve been led to believe that just isn’t so. All too often churches are assumed to be fortresses of… Read more »
To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here Sociologist Jean Twenge recalls the moment about 20 years ago when her nephew received a trophy. At two feet tall, it was pretty spectacular. Three words were prominently displayed: Excellence in Participation. In her book Generations, Twenge charts the post-World War II birth of an American cultural revolution – the notion that children will… Read more »
To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. The leaves of the milkweed plant apparently taste delicious. But few marauding insects and grazing livestock ever get the chance to enjoy a milkweed meal. That’s because this common herb has not one or two but three major lines of defense to keep hungry visitors at bay. First, the plant’s leaves and stems are… Read more »
To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. The memory of a visit to a rocky English shoreline inspired one of the 19th century’s most famous poems. In Dover Beach, published in 1867, the British poet Matthew Arnold declares that belief in God is slowly but surely fading away. The old assurances about divine care in this world and blissful life… Read more »
To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. The Dead Sea is one of the earth’s most extraordinary natural features. This large lake, located on the border of Israel and Jordan, is the lowest point on the surface of the planet – a full one-third of a mile below sea level. It’s not shallow, either. At one spot it’s 997… Read more »
A few years ago, as the workplace pastor for a faith-friendly healthcare organization, I visited one of the office work teams. I was holding something in my left hand, which was tightly closed. “So what do you think I’m holding right now? Anybody want to take a guess?” There were lots of guesses. A coin. A marble. An acorn. I… Read more »
Throughout November we’re taking an in-depth look at Ruth, the little book that helped pave the way for God’s Messiah to come into the world. In the Bible’s library of 66 books, Ruth is distinctive. Along with Esther, it’s one of only two books named for a female. No other book reserves the starring roles for two women (Ruth and… Read more »
“Once upon a time, something happened to someone and he decided that he would pursue a goal. So he devised a plan of action. And even though there were forces trying to stop him, he moved forward, because there was a lot at stake. And just as things seemed as bad as they could get, he learned an important lesson. … Read more »