As a child, I wanted to be a singer. I wanted to be famous. I can carry a tune, but I’m not a great singer. But I loved to write songs. A lot of the songs I wrote were about God. I loved to dress up and sing my songs. As I grew up, I stopped writing songs and started grading papers.
Crossroads: What Should I Ask For?
August 23, 2021 by
As a child of the 90s, I cannot tell you how many times I watched Aladdin. It was one of my favorite movies.
Faith, a Prayer for Epiphany
January 6, 2021 by
God of life,
God of all our becoming
winding
changing
hopeful
fearful years—
we praise you
for your faithfulness.
Crossroads: But That’s Too Easy!
July 8, 2019 by
There are times when things seem too good to be true. Maybe it’s a test that you thought was going to be really hard but it was super easy. Maybe you hurt someone else and you feel guilty, and in order for them to forgive you, they ask you to do something that turns out to be really easy.
Connections 07.07.2019: Our Faith, Their Health
June 30, 2019 by
Naaman was the general in charge of Syria’s army. He was important and powerful. He also had a disease. Because Naaman was important and powerful, he had servants.
Formations 04.24.2016: The Problem(s) with Polygamy
April 17, 2016 by
Polygamy isn’t just an Old Testament issue. Recently, the South African acapella group Afrika Mamas released a new album that addresses this issue head on, seeking to empower African women to reject this practice that is firmly entrenched in many parts of Africa.
Formations 04.17.2016: What a Kingdom Looks Like
April 10, 2016 by
Jeff Bezos is a technology entrepreneur and investor. He is the reason you can get almost anything shipped to your door—dog food, a soldering gun, a flat screen TV—within two days of clicking a button.
Formations 04.10.2016: Places of Worship
April 3, 2016 by
Do you have fond memories of a particular place of worship? Maybe it’s the sanctuary were you were baptized, where you were married, or where your parents or grandparents were bid farewell.
Formations 04.03.2016: Questions that Make a Difference
March 27, 2016 by
Growing up, Lisa Gross was fed traditional Korean food cooked by her grandmother, who came to America from Korea with Gross’s mother in the 1970s. Every time Gross would come into the kitchen while her grandmother cooked, she was sent back out to do her homework and study.
Formations 01.18.2015: Elijah’s Challenge
January 11, 2015 by
After years of drought, Elijah at last demands a meeting with King Ahab. He rebukes the king as the one who is troubling Israel and proposes a contest on Mount Carmel to decide once and for all whether Baal or Yahweh is worthy of worship.
Formations 01.04.2015: An Unlikely Benefactor
December 28, 2014 by
January 6 and the Feast of Epiphany marks the end of the Christmas season. Does this mean, however, the end of our annual heightened consciousness of needs in our community?
Crossroads: Elisha – But That’s Ridiculous!
November 10, 2014 by
As a child, I loved to watch a show called Doug. It was an animated show about a boy named Doug who has moved to a new town and started a brand new school. It follows his adventures with his best friends, Skeeter and Patti, and his dog, Porkchop.
Formations 09.28.2014: United Kingdom Remains United
September 21, 2014 by
In a referendum earlier this month, Scotland rejected a bid by nationalists to break away from the United Kingdom. Despite their complaints about the central government in London, fifty-five percent of Scots felt it better not to become independent.
Formations 09.21.2014: Praying through a Crisis
September 14, 2014 by
At my church, we pray every week. Sometimes, we pray silently. Sometimes, a pastor or deacon gives voice to our prayers, and we respond with “Amen.” Sometimes we recite the Lord’s Prayer together.
Formations 09.14.2014: Reeling from a “Lifequake”
September 7, 2014 by
Americans remember September 11, 2001 as a horrific day in which the world was shattered by the destructive acts of ruthless fanatics. According to Dr. Howard Samuels, all of us have also faced smaller, more personal “ground-zero” experiences that have left us reeling, struggling to get back on our feet, and wondering how we could ever survive.
Formations 09.07.2014: New MLB Commissioner to Take Office Next Year
August 29, 2014 by
Last month, Major League Baseball named former league chief operating officer and labor lawyer Rob Manfred to be the tenth commissioner in the sport’s history, replacing Bud Selig. Manfred will officially take the reins in January.