Christian author and educator, Lawrence O. Richards makes an interesting connection between sponge diving, which is a major business in his area of the country, and the spiritual life. Divers are attached to an oxygen line in a boat, then they dive deep into the water to search for sponges. The only thing that keeps […]
In a recent theological journal, Austin Seminary professor David White tells the story of Le Chambon, a little village in southern France. “One day in 1942, during World War II, two buses of French police pulled into this village to round up Jews who were given refuge there. The police captain gathered everyone into the […]
I remember years ago, I had a friend who said he did not like going to church because, for him, worship was kind of boring… He said, “You know you just sit there, and the music is often reflective and quiet.” On the other side of this, Annie Dillard has this great quote. She wrote: […]
Many years ago now, my daughter Emily got into making small clay animals. They were really quite detailed, and she was able to sell them for a dollar a piece to friends, family, and neighbors. Over the course of about a year, she accumulated a hundred dollars – which of course is a lot of […]
In the first century, in the Roman Empire, the early Christians had a really interesting custom. They would take laurel wreaths out into their graveyards and place them on the graves. These were the same wreaths that had been used in Greek and Roman culture to crown the victors of athletic contests. For these first […]
In preparing to lead a memorial service for my friend Rev. Herb Meza, I read an Easter sermon that he had written entitled, “More Beyond.” In this sermon, Herb reflected on the eternal dimensions of our faith. He noted that if our eyes are open, there are all kinds of hints pointing to something more […]
Friend of Dial Hope, I have a confession to make. Are you ready for this? I am an in- curable hoper and I want you to follow suit. I have a bias that no problem on earth is ever truly insoluble; problems are opportunities filled with possibilities. I do everything in my power to solve problems […]
Earlier in the month, we reflected on Psalm 62. The psalmist “For God alone my soul waits in silence…” Today, I return to this theme. In reality, there is so very little silence in our lives. We get the earbuds in. Screens on. The television going. Phones ringing… And we get used to this. We […]
In their book, Radical Hospitality, Father Daniel Homan and Lonni Collins Pratt tell a true story about a time when Lonni’s first baby was dying of cancer. The baby was in tremendous pain, and it was gut-wrenching to even be in her presence. Lonnie needed help, however, as her husband was in the military and […]
The Gospel of John tells us that on the night he was betrayed, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. He said to them, “I have set for you an example…” Have you ever been to a foot washing service in a church? I have been to a couple, and in both instances, the experience […]
