My friend had a birthday last week, he turned 53.  On Saturday he went with his family to hear a band he followed years ago. His posted “it was like reliving my youth again!”  I like it! For an evening,… Continue reading

Good Grief! Have you known grief?  It is more than feeling sad, experiencing regret, or being blue. Grief is a range of emotions including sorrow, anger, and loss.  For some, grief is like a thunderstorm that passes with furious turbulence… Continue reading

Today in churches, on the front steps of city halls, in public parks, and homes Americans will observe the 64th National Day of Prayer.  In spite of my reservations about mixing patriotism and prayer, I’m planning to participate.  No, I… Continue reading

“Do you have enough faith?” I asked myself in the quietness of the dawn. On the road of life ahead of me stands a range of mountains to climb, challenges for which I have few natural resources.  The ministry I… Continue reading

When my life gets complicated (is it ever simple?) I tend to awaken sometime around 3 AM.  My thoughts begin, moving from personal things, to church matters, to unfinished business, to plans, to my children, to the last sermon I… Continue reading

May I borrow your faith?  A silly question to you, perhaps, but a story from Mark’s Gospel says otherwise.  Jesus went to Capernaum to teach and gathered a  standing room only crowd in the house where he was staying.  Four… Continue reading

He was angry.  His eyes narrowed and his voice rose as he told me how terrible I was, describing me as a liar, a cheat – and those were the nice things he said!  I knew that what he was… Continue reading

“He’s gone AWOL.”  The military term, meaning Absent Without Leave, is part of our language now. The short story of Jonah starts with this arresting sentence: “Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to… Continue reading

“I am so sorry.  I have bad news,” Bev’s physician announced to us as he entered the exam room.  We would like to have heard that she is healthy, that there are no complications.  But …  I have no simple… Continue reading

After death touched her family yet again, her grief turned to fury toward God. Martha was  not the first person, nor the last, in history to get angry at God over a broken heart! (John 11)  There is an echo… Continue reading