Israel: Past, Present, and Future
For the first time in our 46 year marriage my wife and I are reading the Bible over the course of a year. We finished the New Testament and the Wisdom books in March and then starting in Genesis are reading the remaining Old Testament books consecutively . . .
The Porcupine Whose Name Didn’t Matter
This post includes another story titled “The Porcupine Whose Name Didn’t Matter” from the book, "The Way of the Wolf: The Gospel in New Images" by Martin Bell, first published in 1970. The book contains a collection of stories and poems that touch the heart and reveal how God appears to us in subtle and often mysterious ways . . .
Christ’s New Commandment
During His earthly ministry, one of the teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Jesus replied that the most important was to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ . . .
Find Your Oasis
This beautifully written essay by Jeffrey Tucker titled "Find Your Oasis" recalls a transcendent moment he experienced in Grand Central Station surrounded by a multitude of people all rushing off to somewhere. In the midst of the chaos he was captivated by a distinctly different sound; that of a cello playing what he thought sounded like one of the suites by J.S. Bach, written some 300 years ago . . .
The Story of Nicodemus
In this post we will consider the moving story of Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the ruling council of Jerusalem called the Sanhedrin. He was a man of power, prestige, and privilege, yet also, as we will see in scripture, a genuine seeker of the truth. Nicodemus is mentioned three times in the Bible and only in the gospel of John. Yet in spite of the brevity of his story we witness one man’s honest quest for truth and understanding, and his encounter with Jesus, the promised Messiah and Lord of all creation . . .
Found By the Hound of Heaven
In the 15th chapter of the Gospel of Luke Jesus tells the following parable to the Pharisees and teachers of the law who criticized Him for welcoming tax collectors and sinners who gathered to hear Him: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them . . .
Metamorphosis
Last summer my wife and I were witnesses to a miracle of metamorphosis; the transformation of caterpillars into butterflies. We had accidentally discovered a small number of newly hatched swallowtail caterpillars . . .
The Story of Malchus
In the gospel of John there is mentioned a man named Malchus, the servant of the high priest, Caiaphas, who accompanies the soldiers and officials sent by the chief priests and Pharisees to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. In a brief skirmish, the disciple, Peter, cuts off the ear of Malchus and Jesus then heals him . . .
Pale Blue Dot
On February 14, 1990 as Voyager I was departing our planetary neighborhood for the outer fringes of the solar system, it turned it around to take a final portrait of our home planet nearly 4 billion miles away. Carl Sagan’s book “Pale Blue Dot” was inspired by this iconic image of Earth . . .
Feelings vs. Faith
The scriptures say that Jesus — as God made man — experienced everything we have or will, yet was without sin. This means that He felt the full range of emotions we exhibit: anger, sadness, joy, grief, dread, confusion, loneliness, unfulfilled desires, disappointment, and more. There is great comfort in this as Jesus fully understands all that we will experience in this life . . .
Should God Reward You On Your Own Terms?
In the book of Job, Elihu asks a profound question, “Should God reward you on your terms, when you refuse to repent?” Elihu is raising the question as to whether God will accept man’s terms for receiving salvation apart from the means God has provided? This is just one of hundreds of penetrating questions appearing in the Bible that God invites us to ponder . . .
A Father’s Prayers
Last month as I celebrated Father’s Day with my two sons who are fathers I was filled with gratitude for God’s gift of children. This morning I was reflecting on the thousands of prayers I’ve prayed for them through the last four decades . . .
Hummingbird
In 1972 Seals and Crofts released the album Summer Breeze which my wife to be and I both owned and listened to throughout our college years. The album contains the achingly beautiful and timeless song “Hummingbird” . . .
The Final Frontier
I received an email recently from a friend who in his closing wrote, “And the greatest of these is love.” Some of you may recognize this as the very last words from 1st Corinthians 13, the great chapter on love. What does this chapter say about love? . . .
Wonders of Nature
Around 1940 Edward Hughson, my great grandfather, wrote to my mother, Mary, and aunt, Helen, a series of poems about his observations of nature in the backyard of his home called “Hilltop Farm” in the Oakland Hills . . .
I Believe in God…
Clearly what we believe matters, as our beliefs shape who we are and the decisions we make in life. Sometimes, however, it is difficult for people to articulate what they believe. The early church recognized this and developed concise summaries of the essential doctrines of the Christian faith that were used in personal and public confession. Although not divinely inspired, these ancient statements of faith were intended to help unite believers with the fundamental truths revealed in Scripture . . .
Our Gifts, God Given, Are Meant To Be Shared
Last December my father and I were watching Christmas hymns on YouTube. We happened to stumble on a trio of college age siblings who had posted several hymns on a YouTube channel called “Life in 3D”. The simplicity of their videos reveals a beauty and authenticity that is often lost with overproduced music. What shines through in their music is the God given gift of their voices which He has multiplied to bring joy and blessing to millions of people . . .
Kathleen Jackson’s Testimony
At a memorial reception in August 2013 I had a wonderful but unexpected visit with one of my late mother’s life-long friends, Kathleen Jackson. A couple months later I received an email from her which said, “I think I told you that I teach/facilitate a Christian Creative Writing class at San Quentin. The men have written some pretty powerful pieces and I am trying to get exposure for them. I would really appreciate your thoughts on this . . .
The Anchoviad
“What do we really know well about any creature, including most of all ourselves, and how is it that even though we know painfully little about anything, we often manage world-wrenching hubris about our wisdom?”, asks Brian Doyle in this short essay . . .
The Imitation of Christ
About 600 years ago, Thomas à Kempis, an Augustinian monk, wrote four booklets that became collectively known as The Imitation of Christ. This short book greatly influenced future Christian writers such as Martin Luther, Samuel Johnson, and George Eliot. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believed it contained the best summary of the Christian life he had ever read. . . .