There have been many times that I have put off doing something because I either thought it was going to take a while or I thought it would be hard to do. For example, I tend to put off washing pots and pans after I cook because I think it’s going to take forever.
You (Plural) Are Not Lacking
“You Are Not Lacking.” That was the title of the sermon I planned to preach on Sunday, January 19. But before I got to it, on Friday, January 17, the daughter-in-law of some beloved church members went on a walk near the church in the afternoon and never came home. Her name is Leanne Hecht Bearden.
Connections 10.04.2020: Grace Leads to Works
Church people talk a lot about grace versus works. In the church where I grew up, and in subsequent years at other churches, we often studied the difference between these two terms.
Formations 09.13.2020: Grace at Meals
We’re not big “entertainers” in our house. We enjoy having company over every now and then, but we don’t live for it the way, for example, my mother did.
Hard Grace
It was extremely important for the church of my youth to prove that every single miracle in the Bible be proven as an historical and scientific fact. A literal seven day creation, the parting of the Red Sea, Joshua making the sun stand still, and of course, there was the story of “Jonah and the Whale.”
Connections 09.08.2019: Grace Greater than our Self-Evaluation
God goes to a lot of trouble to make sure we know about God’s grace and mercy. In this week’s lesson text, God sends the prophet Jeremiah to watch a potter at work.
The Spirituality of Fatherhood: Grace
A few years ago, my wife and I became the happy parents of two girls. Then a funny thing happened when we announced there was a third baby coming.
God’s Grace in Change
We just finished cleaning out my grandmother’s house. Granny is 82 years old and has moved to my aunt’s house, ten hours away, because she can’t live by herself anymore.
Connections 03.05.2017: So Much More
Back when the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? was all the rage, Saturday Night Live presented a parody of it (of course they did). Darrell Hammond portrayed host Regis Philbin, and Will Farrell played a contestant named Rich Preylant.
Formations 01.29.2017: God’s Covenant with Noah
Two friends and I, waiting for others to arrive, had walked down to the southeastern end of Tybee Island, where the mouth of Tybee Creek and the Atlantic met. The tide started to come back in, and for whatever reason, we set our things down and dug channels with our feet to connect the tidal pools and the incoming ocean.
Formations 01.08.2017: The Gift of God’s Grace
It is a cliché of gift giving that babies and toddlers could not care less about the toys they receive on Christmas or their birthday. Instead, it’s the box that really matters. Despite the money wasted, such experiences of innocence are so valued that this scene became one subject of MasterCard’s many “Priceless” advertisements.
The Gracefulness of Hope
For many, 2016 is coming to a close with anger, fear and brokenness. How can we move forward? Some of my friends are writing, protesting, wearing a safety pin, donating money or praying. A public school teacher I know has hung signs on her classroom door indicating that every child is welcome and safe in that space.
This I Believe
Every Sunday while growing up, I ran down the aisle at my church and slid in the pew beside Mrs. Rose. Mrs. Rose was the church lady who children regarded with wonder, trying to figure out if she was related to Mary Poppins and borrowed her famous bag every Sunday morning.
Connections 07.24.2016: Hope Called and Love Answered
I remember an old Gospel song: “Justice Called and Mercy Answered.” Were I to write a song based on Romans 5:1-11, I’d call it “Hope Called and Love Answered.”
Formations 06.12.2016: Grace at the End of the Line
Before beginning as an associate editor at Smyth & Helwys, I graduated from Mercer University. In the three weeks between finishing school and starting work, I gave up on productivity and chose to go fishing instead.
Crossroads: Pride
As Americans, we focus a lot on accomplishments. We give trophies to kids who win at sports. We sometimes ask “what did you accomplish today?” We focus on the accomplishments of others and reward them for it.
A Prayer for Freedom
O God,
We thank you that in Christ, we are free under grace.
Uniform 07.26.2015: The Last Word is “Grace”
Most of Micah’s message is about justice and judgment; as God’s prophet, he hammers away at the need for the people of eighth century Israel to acknowledge and repent of their sins.
Formations 04.26.2015: Do-overs
Do you remember being a child and the grace you sometimes got in the form of a “do-over”? You’re just learning how to bat a baseball or play some other game.
Crossroads: Ash Wednesday
I always feel the weight of the ashes on my forehead on Ash Wednesday. It wasn’t until I went to a Catholic school in middle school that I began participating in Ash Wednesday services.