Be Reframed
Reframe. Reorient. Recenter. These are good words. They describe how God can use Advent in our minds and hearts....
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Jesus Brings Salvation
Every birth is a miracle, and every child is a “Gift from God.” But centuries ago, the miracle of miracles occurred. A baby was born....
Joyful Light
Why weren’t there others equally curious enough to follow this strange star? ...
A Tale of Two Princes
Isaiah 9:6 announces Jesus as the Prince of Peace. And Isaiah proclaims that he is born to us, that this son is being given to us. Jesus – and by extension, his peace – is for us, in every sense. ...
Advent: An Invitation to Hope
The angel said to Mary, “…behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:31-33). ...
On Psalm 51
Sheep wander the lowland darkness, nibbling at the hardwoods that grow among the bogs and the burnt hollows. An impossible ridge separates them from green meadows, azure pools, and the golden throne of God, and the flock knows it not. Wolves also wander there. And we, the sheep, follow in their wolvery....
Springtime and Psalm 38
At this time of year spring is showing itself everywhere. Even the word Lent itself means spring, and the Lenten season has been described as a 40-day springtime for the soul....
Thoughts on Psalm 6
King David had enemies who wanted to kill him. He poured out his heart in this song, the first of seven penitential psalms, and though I am not a warrior with adversaries in pursuit, I know what it is like to be grievously misunderstood. At night, while trying in vain to sleep, the unfairness of it all brings copious tears, prompts twisting of the sheets and grappling with pillows....
R&R
David starts out this psalm on a high note. He doesn’t muddle around with eyes downcast as he considers his failures and those of his people. Per the Living Translation, “O what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven; whose sin is put out of sight!” (vv.1-2) Wow, talk about skipping straight to dessert......
My Soul Waits for the Lord
In Psalm 130, the writer pours out his anguish for his sins against almighty God, along with his urgent request for mercy. “If you, O Lord should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand,” the psalmist says in despair....
Tending to the Tension of Lent
"He regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer" (Ps 102:17)...
Salvation
This Christmas looks different, an empty seat where my grandfather sat. Another Christmas feels “off,” again in the shadow of the pandemic......
Peace
Peace is a wonderful theme for Advent, and the Bible has much to say about it......
Hope
I know little of hope, except perhaps the shadowy thing that normally takes its name......
Messenger or Message?
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NET)....
After Sunset
We near Easter as the disciples neared the resurrection. Indeed, we near our own resurrection as they neared his. Christ has gone, and yet we walk. But like those pinks and oranges, like the stars that break the black, the Spirit now breathes Christ into all the empty spaces....
Disconnected Petrified Hearts
“Yet even now,” the Lord says, “return to me with all your heart...
Spiritual Satisfaction
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Matthew 6:16-18)....
Waiting for God in Silence
Psalm 62:5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him....
Until Then, Hope
Ash Wednesday recently fell in the middle of an historic winter storm in Texas......
The Bread of Life
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry" (Matthew 4:1-2)....
Save Us! Save Us!
Most of us reflect on 2020 as a year that rarely felt safe. So, what does the theme of Salvation have to do with Advent? What are we being saved from exactly?...
Expectations & Advent
Advent signals the “take off” of the Church’s liturgical year at a time when I’m simply struggling to guide my calendar year to a “safe landing.”...
Be Reframed
Reframe. Reorient. Recenter. These are good words. They describe how God can use Advent in our minds and hearts....
Political Partisanship & Christians
US political parties promote themselves as sources of calm within turmoil......
The Elephant in the House
Christ shattered that spiritual wall, and He calls us to forgive and seek reconciliation because He reconciled us to the Father. Allow for space, but don’t let tension build at home during this season of isolation....
Taking Walks
The highlight and habit of my days during COVID-19 is taking walks. Can you relate?...
Resilient
"Resilient: able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions; strong, adaptable, flexible."...
Pray and Care for One Another and Your Neighbor
Adapted from Rev. Daniel Adkinson, former member of TFC and current Rector of St. Thomas Anglican Church - Athens, GA...
Invitation to Reflection
For most of my life, I’ve equated Lent with practices which help us to be “ready” to celebrate Easter......
Something Received
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation (Romans 5:10-11 ESV)....
The Urgency of Reconciliation
“So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). ...
You Shall Teach Them to Your Children
Teaching and modeling prayer for our children. ...
Something Received
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation (Romans 5:10-11 ESV)....
Keep Reading"He Remembers"
Psalm 103:13-17[13] As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. [14] For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. [15] As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; [16] for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. [17] But the steadfast love of ...
Keep ReadingPraying from a Fish’s Belly
When my life was fainting away,I remembered the LORD,and my prayer came to you,into your holy temple.- Jonah 2:7So prays the prophet Jonah from the stomach of a fish. As a man known for running from God, Jonah got a lot of things wrong. Rebelling against God's command? Check. Forsaking his calling? Check. Choosing hate over mercy? Check. Despite what may have defined his w...
Keep ReadingA Covenant Prayer
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, taught the following prayer, known as the "Covenant Prayer." This prayer is a great example of the kind of "riffing" on the Lord's Prayer we talked about Sunday, touching on many of the same themes. Take a moment to look for the connections. May this prayer encourage you as you pray to our Father this week.I am no longer my own, but y...
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