Wednesday will get here irregardless of my level of preparedness. Lent is my favorite liturgical season, perhaps because it coincides with my favorite season season: Spring. Lent plays into my natural penchant for taking my own righteousness too seriously. The springing of Spring is a natural counter-balance–helping me to lighten up. Moreover, Lent always sets me up for an additional level of sinning. I used … Continue reading Lent 2011
Studying Richard Foster’s Prayer with my church, I was unexpectedly haunted by the chapter on Praying with Tears. I was a frequent crier as a child. There is a legend in my upbringing of me throwing a temper tantrum in the grocery store. My dad took me to the car, while Mom and brother continued shopping. M. was an angel. It was pouring rain (I’m … Continue reading On Praying and Tears
Do you offer yourself without reserve to be appointed and to serve as the authoritative authority may determine? Have I attained perfection already? Have I completely conquered all matter of fear? Do I have complete and perfect trust in the Cabinet? Do I completely give over to other fallible humanoids the responsibility to determine how and where I will live out God’s calling in my … Continue reading BOOM: Offering myself without reserve
The Revised Common Lectionary cuts out “Judge not, lest ye be judged”. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount features in Year A’s season after Epiphany. Like many other blocks of teaching, the RCL chops the block into smaller bits, leaving some texts on the cutting room floor. I can understand redacting Judges 19 or swaths of Levitical code. But ‘Judge not’ is quintessential Jesus. Luke’s parallel … Continue reading On Not Judging Not
“Consider the lilies of the field! They neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.” This is a political, social, economic and moral statement. (See passage here) ‘Consider’—more like ‘Behold!’—means pay attention to what is already around you. Open your eyes! Eureka! I’ve found it! We live with our eyes half open. … Continue reading Page One: The Lilies of the Field
Note: I have a file of things that I have written that never made it to their original destination. Usually, these are impassioned defenses of something I believe, in which I find my own statements too strong. Every now and then, I will go through this file and read these things. In January, as I am reorganizing my files, I came across something I wrote that I wanted to … Continue reading I Love the UMC
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will … Continue reading Page One: Matthew’s Beatitudes
A. has a hard time going to sleep sometimes. I pick-up the guitar and she quickly finds a reason to calm down. One of my most important modes of expression is for her a de-stressor. Our current lullaby of choice is Running on Faith by Eric Clapton. Some years ago, I borrowed the Journeyman album from my brother and just got hooked on the song. … Continue reading Soul Music
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by … Continue reading On the 12th Day of Christmas
How can I love my enemy, as Jesus commands? A lot of human division is a matter of focusing on that which divides us. No matter how great or small the matter that keeps us from loving one another may be, one fact (Truth) that remains is that my enemy is human just like me. Jesus refocuses our attention, for by entering human flesh, he … Continue reading On the 11th Day of Christmas
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