My granddad loved to fish. And I wasn’t a fan of fishing. In fact, I thought fishing was pretty boring. But one day he talked me into going fishing with him for a tournament. We have pictures to prove that I caught a fish that day (that I wouldn’t touch).
Connections 06.28.2020: Have To and Want To
June 21, 2020 by
Paul uses the word “slaves” a lot in this week’s lesson text. This should make us uncomfortable. I hope it does. If it hasn’t before, I hope it will from now on.
Crossroads: Don’t Give Up!
June 17, 2019 by
When we were kids, my sister hated school. She didn’t want to do her homework or study, and so there were a lot of times when she didn’t understand things. But when she was in Middle School, she had a really hard time with math.
Formations 03.31.2019: A Living Sacrifice
March 24, 2019 by
The poet Donald Hall, in a documentary for The Atlantic, describes aging as “a ceremony of losses.”
Formations 03.17.2019: Freedom from the Law
March 10, 2019 by
Paul held the torah in high regard. In this week’s passage, he affirms, “So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.
Formations 03.10.2019: Renaissance
March 3, 2019 by
Five years ago, the city of Detroit filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection. At that time, the city’s debt topped $18 billion.
Formations 09.24.2017: Japanese General’s Gift Launches a Career in Science
September 17, 2017 by
John S. Blunt was a U.S. Navy Seabee during World War II. Serving in both the European and Pacific theaters, he acquired a number of trophies. Among them was a high-quality Japanese microscope. He had saved a Japanese general’s life by providing him with antibiotics from the American base’s medical dispensary.
Connections 09.17.2017: The View from Below
September 10, 2017 by
God is with us. Christ is present in us. These are, the Bible assures us, facts. But such talk can go to our heads. After all, if God is with us, shouldn’t we be able to look down on other people? And if Christ is present in us, shouldn’t we be able to pass judgment on folks?
Connections 09.10.2017: Praise…and Vengeance
September 3, 2017 by
Psalm 149 begins with joy, exuberance, music, praise. It sounds like the best kind of worship service, when everyone’s singing in unison—or glorious harmony—and all are feeling good and right before God. It’s how we want things to be when we go to church with our fellow believers.
Connections 04.02.17: No Foolin’
March 26, 2017 by
The day before April 2 is April 1, and that’s April Fools’ Day. I don’t like April Fools’ Day. I don’t like it because it legitimizes lying and cruelty, which I have enough trouble with on the 364 (365 if it’s a leap year) days they’re supposedly considered illegitimate.
Connections 03.19.2017: What Is and What Will Be
March 12, 2017 by
There was a time when I wanted everything to make sense. It didn’t want to, so I tried to force it. It didn’t go well. Somewhere along the way, I gave up on that project. Life’s been better since I did. But folks do try to explain things, don’t they? One of the things we hear well-intentioned Christians say is, “Life’s tough; then you die.”
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 03.05.2017: So Much More
February 26, 2017 by
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 01.22.2017: Asking Paul’s Questions
January 15, 2017 by
In John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, the first person Tom Joad meets after leaving prison and hitching a ride with a truck driver is Jim Casy. Joad finds him lying against a willow tree, whistling, and recognizes him as the preacher.
Connections 08.28.2016: The Command to Love
August 21, 2016 by
My daughters are eleven and nine. From the time they were old enough to understand, my husband and I have established rules for them. These parameters help them learn everything from necessary safety precautions to appropriate social behaviors.
Connections 08.21.2016: Places in our Hearts
August 14, 2016 by
Robert Benton’s 1984 film Places in the Heart takes place in 1935 Waxahachie, Texas. Royce and Edna Spalding own a cotton farm. Royce is also the local sheriff.
Connections 08.14.2016: The Hardened Heart
August 7, 2016 by
If I asked you what verse in today’s passage is most confusing, which one would you choose? Paul’s writing, like the writing of many great theologians, can be just as bewildering as it is inspiring.
Connections 08.07.2016: Safe in God’s Love
July 31, 2016 by
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor recessions, nor politics, nor presidential elections, nor terrorism, nor racism, nor sexism, nor homophobia, nor the internet, nor arrogance, nor ignorance…
Connections 07.31.2016: Seasons of Spiritual Life
July 24, 2016 by
One of my favorite contemporary Christian artists is Nichole Nordeman. Her songs range from poignant reflections on the seasons of life to grateful awe to bold declarations of uncertainty and doubt.
Connections 07.17.2016: “Can I Get in Line?”
July 10, 2016 by
Andrew, my five-year-old nephew, is a great source of joy in our family. Born at 29 weeks, weighing about 2.5 pounds, he lived in the neonatal intensive care unit of the hospital for 65 days before my brother Dusty and his wife Christy were able to bring him home.
Connections 07.10.2016: Privilege
July 3, 2016 by
We hear a lot of talk these days about privilege. Since I’m one of the privileged, I try to take such talk to heart. I try to be aware of my privileged status and of the pitfalls and advantages that accompany it.
Connections 07.03.2016: Beneath the Surface
June 26, 2016 by
“A World Gone Wrong.” What a timely unit for these difficult days in our world. If you’re like me, you check the daily news with a guarded heart. In the past several weeks, I’ve read about a mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub, politicians smearing each other’s campaigns, and social media users cursing each other out for personal stances.
Connections 06.26.2016: We Know
June 19, 2016 by
At one point in his 1971 song “Ain’t No Sunshine,” singer/songwriter Bill Withers says the phrase “I know” twenty-six times in a row. He says he intended to write other lyrics, but the veteran musicians playing on his debut album talked him into leaving it as it was.
Crossroads: Don’t Give Up!
May 23, 2016 by
When we were kids, my sister hated school. She didn’t want to do her homework or study, and so there were a lot of times when she didn’t understand things. But when she was in Middle School, she had a really hard time with math.
Crossroads: Rules vs. Grace
February 29, 2016 by
I love lists. I make to-do lists, grocery lists, lists of things to clean, etc. Whatever it is, if I can make it into a list, I probably have.
Formations 02.08.2015: Haitian Conditions Slowly Improving
February 1, 2015 by
Five years after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti, there are signs of improvement…. Industry is being rebuilt, and they are even making gains to improve health.
Formations 10.19.2014: A Holy and Pleasing Sacrifice
October 12, 2014 by
There is a good bit of practical advice in Romans 12:1-8 about the nature of discipleship. We can see the practical side of this passage if, after every major section, we ask how what Paul says helps us do what he said just before.
Crossroads: A Great Helper – Phoebe
September 7, 2014 by
When I was seven or eight years old, my parents decided to move a piano from one floor of our house to another. It was a good idea. The only problem was that we had to move a piano up eight stairs, and the piano was very, very heavy.
A Lesson in Humility
February 18, 2014 by
A few days ago, during a respite from one of the many polar vortexes that have blown through Louisville, I took my dog for a walk. My neighbor called me over. “Hey there! I saw you fall the other day.”