Anyone who has been around small children probably speaks a familiar refrain: “Be nice.”
Hallmark Just Doesn’t Get It
June 14, 2022 by
I don’t hate Father’s Day; it’s the Tuesday beforehand that I can’t stand. I drag myself to the grocery store, trudge to the card aisle, and stare at the never-ending wall of cards. There are dozens, hundreds of cards to sift through and I know that I will not find what I need the first few tries.
When Acts Just Ends
March 29, 2022 by
The book of Acts, which concerns the early church, seems like this, especially as it nears its strange conclusion. Leaving Athens, fortunately, Paul was able to start churches in Corinth and Ephesus.
Just the Way You Are
September 8, 2021 by
Like millions of kids who grew up between 1970 and 2001, our son watched Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood almost every weekday for many years. Generations of kids loved and trusted this caring adult who spoke directly to them in the most personal and respectful way.
Crossroads: What Just Happened?
April 5, 2021 by
I cannot tell you the number of times that I have said, “Wait. What just happened?”
Just Keep Talking
November 3, 2020 by
What were we talking about? My sentences are running together like my days. I lose my train of thought midway, derailed by one thing or another that was going the other way.
THIS JUST OUT: Coronavirus and Kindness Are Both Contagious!
March 18, 2020 by
The Bible says to love your neighbor. Alternatively, some people on this earth apparently believe that the Bible says love your neighbor unless you are in a pandemic and shopping for groceries.
Connections 11.03.2019: A Just and Merciful God
October 27, 2019 by
I’m one of those people who has a hard time reading about the judgment of God. There’s plenty of it in the Old Testament, but I tend to think of the New Testament as being more about mercy.
Formations 12.16.2018: “Just Hand Me a Baby”
December 9, 2018 by
Most scholars agree that the words of comfort in today’s lesson were first spoken to Jewish people near the end of their decades-long exile in Babylonia. The national shame of the exile will soon be over, the prophet proclaims. Now it is time to “prepare the way of the LORD” (v. 3) so that the captives may return home.
“Band-aids Just Hold the Blood In”
April 10, 2018 by
This is what my 7 year old told me after a nasty bike fall in the cul-de-sac. He came in scraped on every bony part, a little bloody, but mostly just sad. He’s my sensitive one. He needs lots of sleep, hugs, and kind words. His heart is very tender and can be broken in an instant.
Connections 03.12.2017: Just Believe?
March 5, 2017 by
Paul spent a lot of mental energy writing about faith versus works. Having studied some of the history of his time, I understand why this was so important. The new Christian movement broke into a centuries-old religion that relied on sacrifices, rituals, and strict adherence to the laws of the Pentateuch—the first five books of the Old Testament.
Connections 04.03.2016: Free Indeed
March 27, 2016 by
Something about this story bothers me. Now, I know that slavery was an accepted part of first century Roman culture. But I also know that for a human being to own a human being violates the humanity of both.