from a distance?
From a Distance,” the 1991 Grammy Song of the Year popularized by Bette Midler, describes what the world looks like from a distance: “From a distance the world looks blue and green . . . there is harmony . . . And no one is in need. And there are no guns, no bombs, and no disease . . . We are instruments . . . playing songs of hope, playing songs of peace.” The song ends with the lingering refrain: “God is watching us from a distance.”
be patient
If you had the opportunity to handpick the members of your local church or small group, would you choose people who always . . .
multi-hat syndrome
A pastor recently listed 36 different “hats” he might wear. The roles included community activist, theologian, financial advisor, and life coach. These roles evolved from the different needs of churchgoers. While it’s important for all of us to respond to others’ needs, if the demands consume us, we may begin to serve people instead of serving God.
right thing, wrong reason
I was preaching one evening when a mentally ill man walked down the church aisle, slapped me in the face, pushed over the pulpit, and sent the congregation into a panic. In a protective act, a church member named Gary stepped toward the man as he lunged towards Gary and his wife.
the counts
It’s likely you didn’t wake up this morning and think Hope my white blood cell counts are climbing! I did. Why? Due to a recent bone marrow transplant, my blood cells have been doing their own version of the “limbo” (“How low can you go?”). Low counts aren’t good. They mean you’ll have a tough time fighting off disease and that you might be dealing with some serious medical maladies. Those tiny little red-and-white blood cells can’t be seen, so most of us simply take them for granted.
go, reveal Him
If you didn’t grow up in a Christian home, chances are that you didn’t come to faith through a message heard on radio or TV, read in a magazine article, or heard in a debate. No, it’s likely a believer in Jesus entered your life and provided spiritual illumination beyond this world.
language of the heart
I’m more impressed by works than by words, which I often gloss over as nothing more than hot air. I’ve said, “Talk is cheap!” and “Don’t talk the talk if you won’t walk the walk.” According to the apostle James we’re right to value works over mere words. He reminds us that it does no good to tell a poor…
can you keep a secret?
Matthew 6:1-4: Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others.…
discipline of secrecy
I’m an exhibitionist,” said the surrealist artist Salvador Dali. “Life is too short to remain unnoticed.” And actress Marlene Dietrich once released an album made entirely of the applause recorded at her cabarets—which she frequently played for her friends.
The desire for praise is never far from any of us. We want people to applaud our qualities and achievements. We…
inheritance given by promise
Galatians 3:16-18: God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ. This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when…
silent love
My wealthy neighbor decided he no longer wanted to pay his mortgage, so he left our neighborhood for a larger home. His former house has gone into foreclosure, which lowers the value of my home, for foreclosed homes normally sell far below what the market is dictating. He also stopped paying his association dues for the upkeep of our neighborhood—causing…
lasting
One summer when I was in elementary school, some of the neighborhood kids built a fort out of scrap wood. Precariously balanced on the ground, it consisted of three levels with enough room for two small bodies on each level. My dad, upon seeing their creation, promptly prohibited me from climbing in it as he was convinced it was an…
active faith
"Did you know that?!” When my student responded with disbelief at what he had learned in researching his social justice project, my heart leaped with excitement. Teaching in a private prep school, I look for ways to help my students see beyond their somewhat sheltered world. My delight was short-lived, however, when he continued by saying that although he felt…
our own making?
As a teacher, I find the Middle Ages to be both fascinating and disconcerting. A fixed pillar of the literary canon, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales vividly shows the reliance of humanity on the outward practices at the expense of the inward heart.
In my 21st-century, biblically literate mind, I wonder how people could become so dependent on having relics for their…
faith opens the door
Hebrews 11:6: It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.
Our God and the Father of our Lord is so gracious and kind to us because we’ve placed faith in Jesus as being the Son of God. Did you realize…
