Advent catches me off-guard every year with the reminder that God may be “in his heaven” but all is not, in fact, right with the world.
Formations 12.03.2023: A Kingdom of Peace and Justice
November 26, 2023 by
Isaiah 9 expresses a great sigh of relief on the part of the beleaguered people of Judah.
Connections 11.26.2023: Grace and Goodness
November 19, 2023 by
It’s Thanksgiving week, which means many of us will gather with some of the people we love best in the world, and we’ll eat amazing favorite foods, and we’ll share the things we’re grateful for, and we’ll celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season.
Formations 11.26.2023: Mountaintop Experiences
November 19, 2023 by
The Bible never uses the exact wording of a “mountaintop experience,” but it is certainly the origin of that expression.
A Bit of Hell
November 15, 2023 by Leave a Comment
“I’m a fake,” she said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I mean that I get up and I teach my Sunday school class when I don’t even know if I believe what I’m teaching anymore.”
Formations 11.19.2023: Completing the Work
November 12, 2023 by
I’ve never been a member of a church that built a new facility. But I have been a member of a church that renovated older buildings.
Connections 11.19.2023: Peace and Security
November 12, 2023 by
Most of us don’t know very much about the ancient history of the region that many faith groups consider to be holy land.
Formations 11.12.2023: Bigger than Us
November 5, 2023 by
In the Middle Ages, the building of cathedrals represented both a profound expression of faith and a channel for the creative energies of countless artisans.
Connections 11.12.2023: Just Be Nice
November 5, 2023 by
Anyone who has been around small children probably speaks a familiar refrain: “Be nice.”
Formations 11.05.2023: Lavish Symbols
October 29, 2023 by
Robert Webber was a minister and academic who often led seminars for churches navigating the landmines of worship renewal.
Connections 11.05.2023: Recipe for a Saint
October 29, 2023 by
The first Sunday in November is often observed as All Saints’ Day.
Formations 10.29.2023: Our True Sacrifice
October 22, 2023 by
Some of today’s lesson text deals with animal sacrifices to God, a practice we (hopefully) no longer do.
Formations 10.22.2023: Seeing Each Other
October 15, 2023 by
How do you react when you encounter someone on the street asking for money? What if that person is a “regular.”
Connections 10.22.2023: What We Owe
October 15, 2023 by
My husband and I have decided to buy a used car from a friend for our daughter to use. The friend is offering us a deal we can’t refuse for a vehicle that should last at least a couple of years.
Formations 10.15.2023: “The Lord Indeed Is God”
October 8, 2023 by
In the fourth century, the Arian bishop Ulfilas translated the Bible into the Gothic language.
Formations 10.08.2023: Offering the Tithe
October 1, 2023 by
The Ten Commandments tell us not to covet or steal or murder and so on, and we could probably think of many actions and behaviors that fall under those ten laws.
Connections 10.08.2023: Regrets, I Have (More Than) a Few
October 1, 2023 by
Yesterday I let my fifteen-year-old son connect his phone to my car’s audio system so we could listen to his playlist on the way to the orthodontist.
Formations 10.01.2023: Speak of the Devil
September 24, 2023 by
First Peter ends with a series of parting instructions regarding mutual love, hospitality, humility, stewardship of spiritual gifts, and accepting the authority of church elders.
Connections 09.24.2023: What’s Your Problem?
September 17, 2023 by
In general, it is not a good idea to base complex theological understandings on snippets and sound bites.
Formations 09.24.2023: Your Life Speaks
September 17, 2023 by
A high school marketing program in Liberty Hill, Texas is working with local businesses for mutual benefit.
Formations 09.10.2023: Public Opinion
September 3, 2023 by
It’s amazing how much our self-perception depends on what other people say about us. People who’ve been told they don’t have what it takes to succeed often don’t.
Formations 08.27.2023: Legacy
August 20, 2023 by
“Legacy” is a hefty word. We connect it with death, since many people’s life goal is to leave a legacy behind when they die.
Connections 08.20.2023: Salvation
August 13, 2023 by
People from certain Christian traditions may remember sermons and lessons about “being saved,” “asking Jesus into your heart,” or “walking the aisle” to make a public profession of faith before the church.
Flame: Pentecost Flames Salad Spinner Art and Prayer Ideas
June 6, 2023 by
I found a cheap salad spinner ($4 in IKEA!) and was finally able to try out some spinner art! It’s brilliant: quick, clean (because the spinner sits in its own bowl) and each piece is unique! The process of making the art really lends itself to Pentecost themes so here’s an idea to help celebrate the occasion.
Flame: Pentecost Painting
May 24, 2023 by
I know it’s a bit early for Pentecost, but I like to be ahead of the game and there are so many stories where flames are useful! This is a really great idea for all ages.
Flame: Oil and Paper Suncatchers
April 4, 2023 by
This is an activity that can be done by children of all ages and is a great illustration of Christ’s light shining through us. Gather the necessary materials and wait for a sunny day.
Flame: “God Loves Me” Stained Glass Windows
February 14, 2023 by
This week one of our focus stories is the Prodigal Son. The main point we want to get across is that God loves us and wants to be involved in our lives. This is a craft we will be doing with our 3-5s group on Sunday and also with the 5-7s.
Six Ways to Embrace Your Uniqueness
August 30, 2022 by
As we put our hands to the plow of the new year, consider these six ways of transforming yourself and your Sunday school class.
Flame: Light of the World Lantern
July 12, 2022 by
Lanterns and lamps appear in many Bible stories and they’re so easy to make, but I’ve always been disappointed that it’s difficult to put a light in a lantern without risking the whole thing going up in flames.
Flame: Easter Cards
April 12, 2022 by
We made Easter cards last year and, when I got the Easter box down this week, I found we had loads of materials left so we did it again.
Lockdown Sunday School: How to be Together When You’re Apart
September 16, 2020 by
Very little feels normal about church these past six months, but one of the most consistently meaningful weekly meetings we have maintained is the Bible study my wife and I lead for young adults.
Flame: Palm Sunday Spinner
April 7, 2020 by
We are getting into Easter planning mode at the moment and needed something a bit different for Palm Sunday. This is a great activity because somehow the hosanna appears on the palm leaf. The children love watching the trick of the eye happen!
Flame: Psalm 23 – Overflowing Cup
October 2, 2019 by
Verse 5 of the twenty-third Psalm speaks about the overflowing cup that God gives and this craft is a way of exploring and thanking God for His many gifts. Each creation will be unique!
Formations 04.22.2018: The Ultimate Teammate
April 15, 2018 by
Football great David Humm recently passed away at the age of 65 from multiple sclerosis. His former college coach, John L. Smith of the University of Nebraska, remembers him as both a gentleman and the ultimate teammate. According to Smith, Humm “saw what the game was all about, and the game was all about being a good teammate.”
Formations 04.15.2018: Acts of Encouragement
April 8, 2018 by
The most triumphant moment of the musical Dear Evan Hansen might come after Evan starts a club to remember Connor Murphy, a classmate who had recently killed himself. In the Connor Project’s first assembly, Evan imagines a community of encouragement.
Connections 12.10.2017: What Would John the Baptist Say?
December 3, 2017 by
The other morning I got out of bed before my wife did. When she came into the den a few minutes later, she found me eating my oatmeal and watching the CBS Morning News. The first thing she said was, “Good morning!” The second thing she said was, “Has there been another one yet today?”
Connections 10.08.2017: Paul’s Credentials…and Humility
October 1, 2017 by
Paul’s writings can be a tough read. Like many theologians, whether someone relatively close to Paul’s era like Tertullian or someone more recent like Eugene Peterson, he seems to be learning as he goes—making statements, doubling back, almost contradicting himself at times, certain at some points and a bit unsure at others.
Formations 07.30.2017: Life-giving Water
July 23, 2017 by
In the previous lesson, Judah’s restoration was described using the metaphor of the life-giving breath of God. Here, it is described as a river of water that flows from God’s presence. Where before, God’s presence had departed because of the people’s sins, now God has returned to a rebuilt temple with life-giving power.
Connections 07.30.2017: God Permits
July 23, 2017 by
The almost-comical family dysfunction continues in the story of Jacob’s dealings with his uncle Laban. As a woman in the twenty-first century, I sometimes try to add layers of modern interpretations to Bible stories. Let’s face it, if the incident in our text happened today, it would go differently.
Connections 04.09.2017: The Hymn of Christ
April 2, 2017 by
Some commentators say that these verses from Philippians describe Jesus and his mission in the form of a hymn. If so, it is a magnificent and beautiful hymn that encapsulates everything Jesus is and all he came to do. We are supposed to strive for a mind like Christ’s (v. 5).
Formations 03.26.2017: Uber’s Lesson in Humility
March 19, 2017 by
Uber Technologies Inc. is an online transportation network company with operations in over 500 cities in sixty-five countries. It is also a company reeling from a spate of recent setbacks including sexual harassment scandals, allegations of a covert operation to avoid regulators in key markets, and a recently leaked video of CEO Travis Kalanick berating an Uber driver.
Connections 03.26.2017: Living in the Light
March 19, 2017 by
We usually think of light as a positive thing. When darkness falls at my house, I take comfort in the glow of soothing lamps. Both of my girls have small lights in their rooms that stay on overnight. If I’m driving on a dark rural road, I always feel better when I approach city lights once again.
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.
Formations 03.05.2017: Taking Off Our Masks
February 26, 2017 by
It’s that time of year when cheap plastic purple and green and gold masks are sold at the front of party stores. This means that it’s almost that time of year when we follow Jesus and those early Israelites before him out into the wilderness. Jesus goes out there, whether he knows it or not, to be tempted by the devil (4:1).
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 02.26.2017: Meeting the Author
February 19, 2017 by
Once in a great while, you hear or read a simple sentence that changes everything. For me, one of those sentences came long ago in a sermon preached by my college pastor. “There is a difference,” he said, “between reading the Bible and meeting the Author.”
Formations 02.05.2017: Moving Day
January 29, 2017 by
The first time I moved away from home was fairly easy. Then again, I only moved about forty-five minutes away in order to attend college. I was back again for the summer, and for numerous weekends throughout the academic year. My second move was harder: about six hours away to attend seminary.
Formations 01.29.2017: God’s Covenant with Noah
January 22, 2017 by
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.