What’s a conscientious Christian to do in the midst of overwhelming need? When the people whose lives intersect with ours have needs that threaten to consume the time/energy/generosity of everyone around them, how can we remain true to the call of Christ (and help them) without burning out or wanting to run away? I suspect […]
Along with a dozen beautiful believers-under-construction, I am re-reading the classic ‘Celebration of Discipline‘ by Richard Foster. Clearly an oxymoron to the spiritually faint of heart, Foster makes a strong case for placing the words ‘Celebration’ and ‘Discipline’ into the same sentence. Week after week my small group of women comes together to wrestle with […]
I’ve been around the block. When it comes to studying the Bible, I’ve made my way through this method and that format, using these tools and those materials. I’ve studied with the help of this translation and that paraphrase. I’ve considered his detailed commentary and her in-depth workbook… After all, if you’re like me and […]
Can I just start by saying that Thomas gets a BAD RAP?! Forever known as Doubting Thomas… Of COURSE the others believed that Jesus was alive – THEY had SEEN HIM! Good Grief! But this STORY of Thomas and his honest expression of doubt is REALLY a story about GOD and HIS extravagant GRACE; His […]
“The fact of suffering undoubtedly constitutes the single greatest challenge to the Christian faith.” –John Stott It’s been this way since time began. The fact that you are still reading tells me that nothing has changed… SUFFERING a LOSS raises questions and doubts and fears and anger as it CHALLENGES our ability to […]
Discomfort comes in many forms, in varied shapes and sizes. Whether circumstantial, relational, physical, financial or spiritual, the thing we all know about discomfort is THAT IT COMES. Our natural tendency is to recoil when pain and discomfort hit close to home. We FIGHT it! We DENY it! We COMPLAIN ABOUT it! We RUN FROM […]
Nothing scares us more than facing off with our inner demons, and yet nothing scares THEM more than when we call them out, BY NAME! Think Jesus and the healing of the demon-possessed man. Having been filled with a whole herd of demons, this poor man was literally out of his mind (or, he could […]
I’ve been on a retreat this week. Never mind that I worked as many as 13 hours a day while retreat-ing. Never mind that what occupied much of my mind-space this week had to do with counting books and counting money. Never mind that my retreat required air travel and taxi rides and coordinating a […]