Archive for May, 2009
« Previous EntriesSunday Inspiration from The High Calling
Sunday, May 31st, 2009Paying Attention to the Poor
READ Psalm 41:1-13
Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor!
The LORD rescues them when they are in trouble.
Psalm 41:1
Yesterday I began reflecting on Psalm 41:1. Today I want to continue this reflection, because something in the language of this verse strikes me as worthy of further consideration.
The […]
All Hail Broke Loose!
Saturday, May 30th, 2009On Wednesday evening, all hail broke loose in Boerne, Texas. For a brief time, we had a stunning hail storm, complete with deafening thunder and blinding lightning. The photo below shows the result. No, this is not snow in winter. It’s a collection of one-inch sized hail in 80 degree weather.
Now I realize that some […]
Thin Places: Theological Reflections and Hesitations
Friday, May 29th, 2009Part 10 of series: Thin Places
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Today I want to wrap up this series on thin places by offering some theological reflections and hesitations. If you’re joining this series late in the game, let me say that the language of “thin place” is a Celtic metaphor that describes […]
The Church as a Thin Place: Dreams and Visions
Thursday, May 28th, 2009Part 9 of series: Thin Places
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In yesterday’s post I began reflecting in a more practical way on the church as a thin place. Today I want to continue these reflections, sharing a few of my dreams and visions for the church.
The Church as a Place of Prayer […]
The Church as a Thin Place: Some Implications
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009In my last post in this series, I suggested that, from the point of view of the New Testament, the church is to be the world’s most significant thin place. To put it more differently, in the time after the ascension of Jesus and the descent of the Holy Spirit, God has chosen to make […]
“Hot in Recession: Chocolate, Running Shoes, and Spam”
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009Now there’s a combination you don’t see very often: Chocolate, Running Shoes, and Spam. No, no, not the Spam that fills you inbox with donations from Africa and illicit invitations. This recent AP story referred to Spam, the stuff you eat. And, apparently, you and I are eating more and more of it these days.
Why […]
Some Thoughts for Memorial Day
Monday, May 25th, 2009For most of my life, Memorial Day signified the beginning of summer with a day off from school or work. When I was in college, Memorial Day usually fell during my final exams, so it was an extra study day. For the next couple of decades, my major goal on Memorial Day was to avoid […]
Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling
Sunday, May 24th, 2009Joy in Doing God’s Will
READ Psalm 40:1-17
I take joy in doing your will, my God,
for your instructions are written on my heart.
Psalm 40:8
Undeniably, there are times when obeying God is hard, times when we’d much rather follow our own will than his. Even Jesus knew that experience as he wrestled with his Father’s will […]
AP: Hanalei Bay the World’s Best Beach
Saturday, May 23rd, 2009The AP reports that Hanalei Bay on the Hawaiian island of Kauai was ranked as the best beach in the world by “Dr. Beach,” Stephen P. Leatherman. (HT: Nathan Roberts.) Leatherman, director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research, said, “The sheer beauty of Hanalei Bay is breathtaking. It’s really an idyllic setting.”
No kidding. […]
Commitment!
Friday, May 22nd, 2009If you’re a squirrel, it takes commitment to steal my bird seed.
The Church as a Thin Place
Thursday, May 21st, 2009Part 7 of series: Thin Places
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In my last post in this series, I examined how Jesus impacts our understanding of thin places. If a thin place is a location where God’s presence can be experienced with unusual intensity, then Jesus himself was the ultimate thin place. Yet, […]
For a Little Fun . . .
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009I wasn’t able to put up the next post in my series on Thin Places because I was out late last night at my son’s choir concert at school. I’ll get back to the series tomorrow. For now, I thought you’d enjoy seeing my son, Nathan, and his friend Alex singing “Me and My Shadow.” […]
Thin Places and Jesus
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009In my last post in this series I suggested that the Temple in Jerusalem was the paradigmatic thin place in the Old Testament. The Temple was considered God’s house, metaphorically speaking, the chief place in which his presence dwelled. Unlike the Tabernacle, the Temple existed in one place, a place to which thousands of Jews […]
Love in the Workplace: A Tribute
Monday, May 18th, 2009No, this is not a salacious story about sex on the job. I want to reflect about love in the workplace, the caring, giving, selfless kind of love, what Christians call agape (pronounced uh-GAH-pay).
In some jobs, love is virtually or actually part of the position description. For twenty years I was a parish pastor. Though […]
Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling
Sunday, May 17th, 2009Sickness and Sin
READ Psalm 38:1-22
Because of your anger, my whole body is sick;
my health is broken because of my sins.
Psalm 38:3
In Psalm 38, David makes a strong connection between his devastating physical illness and his sin. Apparently, he had sinned in some particularly egregious way. As a result, he became terribly sick, a sickness […]
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