Why Church? By Samuel Son Why?! It’s my children’s favorite word. And I have three of them! They love asking “Why?” Why is the sky blue? Why do we go to church on Sundays? Why do I have to play piano? At first, I thought, I’ve got philosophers! So, I answered their questions with great patience…. Read more »
Straw for the Manger: Creating a Matthew 25 Advent season By Sherry Blackman Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I… Read more »
Stop telling them what you believe… Tell them why you believe by N. Graham Standish I was knee-deep into listening on the phone to a potential church visitor when I had a sudden insight: We keep telling people WHAT we believe. What we really need to do is tell them WHY we believe. The man… Read more »
God is good Yes, but God is definitely not safe. By Rebecca Crow Lister Several months ago, I had the pleasure of purchasing a used copy of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis. Bargain hunter that I am, I was thrilled, as it is it was only $3.50. It is my favorite… Read more »
Palm crosses The struggle to comprehend God’s rescue plan for the world By Rebecca Crow Lister Palm Sunday is one of the most festive days in the church year. In my own church, we waved our palms joyously. We belted out “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” as our organist pulled out all… Read more »
Unexpected Surprises What genealogies reveal by Rebecca Lister Do you ever get irritated when reading genealogies in the Bible? All that “so-and-so begat so-and-so…” Most of the time, we just skip over these lists of unpronounceable names to get to the good parts that really matter. Yet, genealogies hold deep meaning for us if we… Read more »
Drawing with smoke Skywriting and other short-lived arts by Ken Rummer The line is thin and gray, and loopy in an old-fashioned, cursive way. I notice it, quite by chance, through the glass of the sliding door to the deck, and it draws me to the pane for a closer look. An elegant, gently… Read more »
Growing old Encore time? by Ken Rummer Ut enim non omne vinum, sic non omnis natura vetustate coacescit. As indeed not every wine, so not every person with the passage of years grows sour. Cicero, De Senectute (On Old Age), from section 66, my translation Now that I’m retired, I find I’m wondering more about… Read more »
But the other does not A Revised Common Lectionary resource for May 13 by Magdalena I. García And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be… Read more »
And the Walls Came a Tumblin’ Down What ‘walls’ do we need God to tear down in our lives? by Rebecca Lister And the walls came a tumblin’ down. These words came to me the other morning as I was listening to an interview by the author of a book entitled The Line Becomes a… Read more »
