The Bible is full of stories of people who grapple with this reality, whether they know it or not. They learn to trust God in times when a situation “is what it is.”
Crossroads: God Makes Beautiful Things
September 12, 2022 by
I’m very clumsy. And sometimes I break things. There have been times when I have broken dishes as I washed them. Usually, when I break something, I have to throw it away.
Formations 07.31.2022: “Thangs Happen”
July 24, 2022 by
When my daughter was in the eighth grade, my wife volunteered to be a chaperone when the school choir performed in a nearby city. At one point, she reassured the choristers about all the preparations that had gone into the trip.
Connections 06.19.2022: Things I Remember
June 12, 2022 by
Some biblical passages are so familiar they are almost hard to read; we’ve heard their phrases so often they practically stand up on their own. Chunks of them have become praise choruses so overplayed that the earworms have taken up permanent residence in our heads.
Crossroads: The Lord Has Done Great Things
April 11, 2022 by
“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” There are many times I can name when God has done great things for me. When I was in the sixth grade and I didn’t have any friends, God sent me a friend named Jessica.
Hard Things Are Hard
January 12, 2022 by
Hard things are hard. Sometimes life is just plain hard. You can’t escape it or get around it; you just have to live through it.
Praying About the Things You Don’t Want to Talk About
May 5, 2021 by
Prayer should never be an awkward conversation. No topic off limits. No taboos and no time limits. It shouldn’t require that I quote scripture to be heard or acknowledged.
Connections 04.26.2020: What Things?
April 19, 2020 by
Cleopas and his companion know what has happened. They know the facts. They are talking about those facts as they trudge the seven miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus.
Formations 04.12.2020: Giving Things Up for Lent
April 5, 2020 by
John places Jesus’ “cleansing of the temple” near the beginning of his Gospel rather than at the end, as the Synoptic Gospels do. In John, this symbolic act foreshadows the many controversies that Jesus will face and that will eventually end with the crucifixion.
Formations 03.29.2020: Things or Experiences?
March 22, 2020 by
New research from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin suggests that some purchases are better than others at providing happiness.
Formations 03.22.2020: Things or Experiences?
March 15, 2020 by
New research from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin suggests that some purchases are better than others at providing happiness.
Formations 06.30.2019: Doing Hard Things
June 23, 2019 by
On the fourth anniversary of the fatal racially-motivated shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, a film about the attack hit theaters.
The Holy, Hard Things
August 21, 2018 by
I have had the honor of having two Papas on this earth, my father and grandfather. Both were men who loved God, sharing God’s good news every opportunity they had.
Connections 04.23.2017: Four Things to Remember in John
April 16, 2017 by
For me, this passage contains some of the most moving and powerful moments in John’s entire Gospel. There are four specific things I love about it.
Formations 07.31.2016: The Things that Drive Us
July 24, 2016 by
Even though I grew up in the Midwest, my family roots are in Kentucky. It’s where most of my extended family lives, where I attended seminary, and where my thoughts always turn on the first Saturday in May.
Formations 11.01.2015: Fragile Things
October 25, 2015 by
Think about strong, permanent things. What are they made of? How big are they? I think of stone structures that stand for centuries. When we want to build something that lasts forever, we consider materials even stronger than stone and wood.