Looking back and seeing God’s fingerprints in your life is a lot easier than seeing them in the moment. There are times in my life when things seemed impossible. When I was upset and hurting in the 6th grade when our church fell apart, it seemed impossible that I would ever be happy again.
Crossroads: Paying Attention
August 28, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Moses could’ve easily walked on by. After all, a burning bush probably wasn’t that unusual. But when Moses looked at it, he noticed something. The bush was burning but it wasn’t burning up. So he went over and the Lord spoke to him. Moses was paying attention.
Connections 03.12.2023: In Remembrance
March 5, 2023 by
In Exodus, there is a refrain: the Hebrew people are to tell their children what God did to save them from slavery in Egypt. But the exodus isn’t the only thing the people are supposed to remember.
Connections 09.20.2020: What Is It?
September 13, 2020 by
God had brought the people out of Egypt and across the sea. They had begun their journey toward Mount Sinai. Now they needed food.
Formations 03.01.2020: Keep Still
February 23, 2020 by
With the sea in front of them and the Egyptian army at their backs, Moses tell the Israelites, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the LORD will accomplish for you today….”
Formations 02.23.2020: The First Passover
February 16, 2020 by
Have you ever known someone who has lost a child? Maybe you have personally suffered that loss. I have been granted the awful privilege of walking with some families through this nightmare, and I can tell you that I have seen no comparable grief.
Connections 02.23.2020: Holy Imagination
February 16, 2020 by
Our high school English teacher Mrs. Powers was teaching us about similes and metaphors. “’The baby is like a rose,’” she said, “is a simile.”
Formations 02.09.2020: Finding Ways to Serve
February 2, 2020 by
As of last month, the Australian bushfires had already burned more than twelve million acres and killed two dozen people and more than a billion animals. The whole world grieves the continuing losses.
Formations 02.02.2020: Moses’ Early Life
January 26, 2020 by
Ever since I had children, I can’t read this old story without feeling the intense fear of a mother who is terrified for her child. In my mind, I picture her filling his belly with her breastmilk to make sure he won’t cry out in hunger on his journey.
Connections 03.03.2019: Something About Her
February 24, 2019 by
I was attending a conference for pastors. My wife accompanied me so she could visit some family members who lived near the host college, shop in the quaint college town, and (I think, hope, and believe) spend some time with me.
Formations 02.03.2019: The Giving of the Law
January 27, 2019 by
The windows in my apartment face southeast. This doesn’t matter except that we’ve started keeping the blinds open in the kitchen. While I make coffee, I’ve begun noticing the sun’s rising—fiery fields degrading into sky.
Formations 06.11.2017: A Crack in the Road
June 4, 2017 by
On the record Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance, Patterson Hood tells a story about a man driving the Savannah Highway in North Alabama. Above an environment built with an acoustic guitar droning over two chords, a drum set playing everybody’s first rock and roll groove, a pedal steel whining, and a few voices falling and rising over one syllable, Hood speaks plainly about the road.
Formations 02.12.2017: The Space Between
February 5, 2017 by
I have a typewriter that I sometimes use. It’s modeled after an IBM Selectric, and even though I use it less than my computer, it reserves a permanent place on my desk. I recognize the absurdity of giving it exclusive access to this space. Still, I defend it by arguing that it makes me write more than edit an early draft.
Formations 10.16.2016: Eager Giving
October 9, 2016 by
McCoy Tyner was excited to go to work each night in December 1964. He and the rest of John Coltrane’s quartet were recording A Love Supreme, a musical prayer that became one of jazz’s greatest albums.
Formations 10.09.2016: The Discipline of Giving
October 2, 2016 by
Our October unit invites us to think about giving as another spiritual discipline. Maybe this one isn’t so obvious. Depending on your upbringing, you might have been taught that giving, especially giving to the church, was more in the category of a religious duty.
You Need Only Be Still (And Then Get Moving!)
March 16, 2016 by
I’m not very good at being still. I fidget. I pace. I drum my fingers on counters and chew pencils into nubs. There may be some deeper issues at play, but I have always struggled with being still.
Formations 02.28.2016: Renewing Our Vows
February 21, 2016 by
Two weeks ago, hundreds of married couples gathered at Fountain Hills Park in Fountain Hills, Arizona to renew their wedding vows. The fourth-annual event was one of the world’s largest vow renewal ceremonies.
Formations 02.21.2016: The Ten Excuses
February 14, 2016 by
A few months ago, an employment website called Career Builder polled users to see how many employees had come up with an excuse to avoid going in to work in 2015.
Connections 02.07.2016: Passover
January 31, 2016 by
The story of the institution of Passover is about the present, the future, and the past. The narrative opens with “The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt . . .” (v. 1). God then proceeds to give them instructions for the Passover observance.
Uniform 12.20.2015: What Can I Bring?
December 13, 2015 by
Our unit title is “What We Bring to God.” Have you ever thought about that? Often, we focus on what God gives to us. The list is both lengthy and weighty: salvation, grace, a Savior who identifies with us, a Scripture text for guidance, the Earth with all its provisions.
Uniform 12.06.2015: A True Sabbath
November 29, 2015 by
Before you read further, stop and name everything on your to-do list—all the little everyday concerns that add up to create a relatively smooth life for you and those in your care.
Crossroads: “When You Think You Can’t Do Something” – Moses
June 2, 2014 by
In the movie Despicable Me, Gru is an unlikely (and at times unlikeable) hero. He adopts three girls as a way to steal the moon. He doesn’t want to be the hero. He wants to be left alone, to be the villain who does something brilliant.
Formations 03.23.2014: Slavery, Then and Now
March 16, 2014 by
Seventh-graders at Iowa City, Iowa’s South East Junior High School hosted a charity basketball tournament earlier this month to raise awareness about modern slavery. The fundraiser, called Hoops for Hopes, was dedicated to educating the public about the issue.