needed
Growing up as a music minister's kid, I had no ambitions to marry someone in the ministry. No resulting trauma or deep regrets, my reservations had more to do with the wounds my parents had endured than any residual resentment within me. Being the daughter of an associate pastor had brought my sister and I up close to the humanity of those we were…
let's get physical
The hall leading to Michelangelo's David in the Academy in Florence holds several of his unfinished statues. These "prisoner" statues are more interesting than his impressive David, for the chiseled outlines of their half-finished forms offer a glimpse of a genius at work. Their placard says that Michelangelo left these statues unfinished to express his belief that, just as the prisoners'…
April 21, 2009
Who is your favorite Bible character? Why?
the power of words
Before the late 1950s, the island of Cozumel, Mexico, was little more than a fishing village surrounded by Mayan ruins. Historians believe the Mayans settled there sometime in the first century AD. For nearly 2,000 years, there was little more to Mexico's largest island than its ancient artifacts.
All that changed in 1959 when French ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau declared…
April 20, 2009
How do view your responsibility to care for God's creation?
freecycle
A "freecycler" resists the consumer culture and pursues a lifestyle outside of prevailing economic systems. One freecycling practice is dumpster diving—foraging in garbage bins for food. One regular diver, Rebecca, has a career and financial resources (and even an art piece hanging in the Seattle Art Museum); but still, 99 percent of her groceries come from dumpsters. She limits her…
habits
I'm a firm believer of this quotation by Fyodor Dostoevsky: "It seems, in fact, as though the second half of a man's life is made up of nothing, but the habits he has accumulated during the first half. "
Hence I enjoy working with youth.
In the month of March, a 19-year-old youth on school holiday came to volunteer with…
why take communion?
Recently I was the guest speaker for the worship service in a church on Communion Sunday. When the pastor asked me to oversee the taking of Communion, I did it the way my home church does it. The pastor later told me that it was not the "usual way" they did it. He also said, however, that it was good…
April 18, 2009
What discipline of the Christian life have you been working on? How's it going?
give
In today's unpredictable economy, officials at charitable organizations are concerned about "donor fatigue." This term describes what happens when people grow weary of repeated requests for contributions. Translated, they stop giving!
With so many pressing needs in the world, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by our own inadequacy. Yet it's a biblical command to give generously to those in need…
all in
We were discussing faith in class this week, and it hit me afresh that we only believe in Jesus if we entrust ourselves--put all of our weight--on his life, death, resurrection, and return. We must push all of our chips into the center of the table, "risking" our entire lives and destiny on his resurrection. This sounds crazy. We have staked everything…
high-risk prayer
During his hazardous career, Evel Knievel attempted to jump his motorcycle over 13 double-decker buses, a tank of sharks, 52 wrecked cars, and a box of rattlesnakes. He miscalculated often and spent beaucoup time in the hospital. Before each stunt, however, he prayed, "God, take care of me. Here I come . . ."
I wonder if Elijah whispered something…
April 16, 2009
Where do you turn in the Bible when you're feeling down or discouraged?
directionless lives
I once talked to a spoken word artist named Brett. His primary performance consists of reciting the entire book of Mark from memory, without props or any additional aids. Mark's Gospel is considered to be a masterpiece in literary circles, and Brett delivers its story to mainstream audiences with careful emphasis, colorful inflection, and varying pace. He spoke a couple…
April 15, 2009
It's Tax Day in the United States and people are thinking a lot about money. How do you honor God in your attitude about money?
