From the darkness of death to the eternal light of life
Introduction: Our church has always set aside time in the worship service for corporate prayer. For years, this moment was called the Pastoral Prayer. Recently, our elders changed the name to the Congregational Prayer. This change reflects something important: this time is no longer reserved only for pastor-elders. It's an opportunity for members of the... Continue Reading →
Part 3: Cross of Christmas Have you ever asked the question, “Where did I come from?” Ancestry.com and similar programs have helped many discover their origin story. People love to see where they came from. They desire to know what similarities they share with common ancestors. My college roommate claimed lineage to Alexander the Great!... Continue Reading →
Part 2: I Need a Favor Have you ever asked God for a favor?Maybe you pray like God owes you. Before bedtime, my sons will pray things like: “God, let the Chargers win tomorrow’s game.”“God, I pray everyone remembers the lyrics for the Christmas musical.” It’s almost as if they’re asking for a favor. They... Continue Reading →
Part 1: Fig Tree Faith Have you ever committed the sin of rubbernecking while driving? I have! No matter how strong my willpower is, I can’t help but turn my head and look. It doesn’t matter if it’s a car crash or an odd tourist trap along the highway. My impulse to look can’t be... Continue Reading →
Recently, a friend asked me a simple question: “Does going to church make you feel better?” I wanted to respond with an emphatic yes. Instead, I hesitated and muttered an abrupt, unconvincing, “Yeah… I guess.” As the words slid out, I felt awkward and anxious. Had I just made church sound too simple, like a... Continue Reading →
The same reason I loved coaching tee-ball was the same reason I quit baseball: win at all costs, no joy, no fun. This poem is a confession that I need Jesus — the same Son of Man who said, “Let the little children come to me.” We must be like them, He said. Not because we are innocent like children, but because we are helpless and in need.
Sitting in a room surround by peers?An ArtistA lawyerA MissionaryA PreacherA Former PreacherA Lifelong believer twice the years of a lowly peer. Write, speak, read aloud are the orders.Don’t be shy, you’re amongst peers. But how? Surely nothing said by the lowly peerwill amount to a revolutionary heart renovation.Not to the level of these prestigious... Continue Reading →
The Battle and the Plea There comes a point in the battle when it seems someone has decided to pause all that has transpired. While those left standing remain, the smoke slowly rises, twisting upward until it vanishes into the sky. Only as the smoke dissipates can the warmth and light of the sun finally... Continue Reading →
A Light Beyond Ourselves Ships navigate safely to shore in the dark of night by the guidance of light—a light not of themselves, but far off. It shines from a distance, racing quickly across the water’s surface, climbing the bow of the ship, scurrying up the mast, illuminating the sails, before finally coming to rest... Continue Reading →
Part 3: The Eternal Embrace In Part One of this series, you were invited to explore my personal grief. In Part Two, we reflected on the world’s grief—how it clings to false feelings of forever. Now, we turn to God’s grief. Why is Jesus called the God who weeps? And how can the One who... Continue Reading →
Lit Lamp For The Soul 