I’ve been reflecting lately on the ways in which the Bible is truly a living Word, and how God speaks to us through it differently at different moments in time. Just for example: In the Gospel of John (chapter 15), Jesus said to his disciples, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down […]
There is an old legend about a man who was shipwrecked on a deserted island for two years. He did pretty well for himself, making a home and growing a garden. He even found a freshwater spring and often caught fish. One day, a ship appeared on the horizon, and a small rescue boat was […]
I was listening to a podcast the other day an interview with the Irish poet and peacemaker Padraig O Tunama. Yesterday I spoke about Henri Nouwen who encouraged us to set aside time for prayer and meditation. O Tunama spoke about his own way of centering each day… taking time apart… He phrased it so […]
In his book, Out of Solitude, Henri Nouwen writes about the importance of finding time apart for prayer and silence – which he talks about as a “Lonely place”. He puts it this way: “Somewhere we know that without a lonely place our lives are in danger. Somewhere we know that without silence words lose […]
Beth Knopik was the keynote speaker at a Dial Hope event that we sponsored in Sarasota last month. She and her husband Steve lost a daughter at age 16 to a rare heart virus. It is hard to even begin to imagine the pain of that loss. Beth wrote a book about her experience with […]
A member of my church Sharon Hartsell has been involved in a mentoring program for students in our county who are classified as homeless. A few years back, Sharon was telling me that her student invited her to a “Character Counts” banquet. In our county, it is quite an achievement and honor for a student […]
John Ortberg tells the story of a friend who made his first trip south of the Mason-Dixon Line from Chicago to Georgia. On that first morning, he went into a restaurant to order breakfast. It seemed that every dish included something called grits. Not being familiar with this southern delicacy, he asked the waitress, “Could […]
Over the past couple of days, we’ve reflected on Jesus as the Good Shepherd (John 10), and his challenging statement, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” I continue those reflections […]
Yesterday, we reflected on Jesus as the Good Shepherd (John 10), and his challenging statement, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” Who are the other sheep? On one level, Jesus […]
Yesterday, we reflected on Jesus as the Good Shepherd (John, chapter 10). I find a lot of comfort in that passage. But I also find there is a measure of challenge. In verse 16, Jesus adds: I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen […]
