Gaining a heart of wisdom
In every season, my garden speaks, reinforcing in leaf and humus Scripture's messages around patience and diligence, inviting me to rejoice with the arrival of every cucumber and blazing pumpkin and to lament with the erect skeletons of sunflowers, their heads bowed at season's end. Predictable and yet ever new, the cycling of beauty and… Continue reading Loving and Listening to God in Every Season
August overwhelms the senses with brilliant hues of color and light; the vibrant aroma of growing things alongside their fresh taste and crunch; bird song in early morning; the persistent peepers in the evening; and the haunting cry of a loon after dark. Maybe it's because of all this--or because we fill our summer daylight… Continue reading Sunday Scripture ~ Psalm 119:18
There are no minutes in the garden-- Only rows, A measure not of time, but of task. In the first garden, Adam was given the task of naming: Zebra and musk ox; Cheetah and gerbil. He punched no clock, but poured out creativity, fulfilling his role. Eve may have pruned apple trees for optimal fruition,… Continue reading The Work of the Garden
From the first syllable of Austin's prayer, her words caught my attention. The urgent tone implied warfare, and she invoked Ephesians 6 fighting words in her pleas for protection as our team prepared to lead a group of one hundred youth on an outreach project. Austin knew we were embarking on an adventure, a holy… Continue reading Your Battle Plan for a Holy War
Whether we’re making meals, changing diapers, or shuttling kids to baseball practice, parents are doers. Always in protective mode, we apply sunscreen and Band-Aids as needed, and when we hit a wall with a need we can’t meet ourselves, we consult with the experts. Long before parents could ransack Google or WebMD for medical advice,… Continue reading How Parenting Exposes Our Need for Faith
It all started as a strategy for outreach. We sat around a table and began to dream out loud, trusting that the fire of shared passion and the wisdom of group process would yield creative ideas for communicating the love of Christ to our community. I don’t mind confessing that I loved my dream. We… Continue reading When Your “Perfect” Plan Has Crashed and Burned
"Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands." (Psalm 90:17) In his book Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminded his readers that “without the burden and labor of the day, prayer is not prayer, and without prayer,… Continue reading Sunday Scripture ~ Psalm 90:17
"And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8 NKJV) Fervent love is a choice, and it comes with effort. The word fervent means "to be stretched," and has also been used to describe a runner, straining toward a finish line. Some versions render the… Continue reading Sunday Scripture ~ 1 Peter 4:8
Given the word "God," without self-editing or over-thinking, what's the word or phrase that comes immediately to mind? If you've been schooled in the false gospel of ceaseless striving, you may come up with words like judgment, severe, or disapproving. After all, it's clear that we are not equipped to measure up on our own to the demands… Continue reading No Greater Message: God Is For You!
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6 ESV) The work of salvation is ongoing, and this is good news for those of us who daily feel the rub of our own shortcomings against the… Continue reading Sunday Scripture ~ Philippians 1:6
Living Our Days 