Surely some of you remember the children’s song we used to sing first thing in the mornings: “Good morning to you, Good morning to you, We’re all in our places With bright, shiny faces, Good morning to you.” I had no strong feelings either way about the song, but I remember wondering if my face…
He walks by my house every Saturday morning on his way to worship – black slacks, white shirt, black yamaka on his head, black walking cane. His faith prevents him from driving on the Sabbath, so he walks, with a slight limp, for 22 blocks (3 miles round trip). Rain or shine, hot or cold,…
In thirty-five years of teaching at the university and seminary level, I learned this – you can’t always tell when a student is learning, nor can you accurately predict their level of future achievement. Some of those I thought would surely fail now serve significant positions of leadership and ministry. Some I thought were “can’t…
How do you spend your day . . . and your night? The Bible has a suggestion. Love in the daytime – both receiving and sharing God’s love. In his “Ragamuffin Gospel,” Brennan Manning wrote: “We should be astonished at the goodness of God, stunned that He should bother to call us by name, our…
One of my early pastors closed every worship service with the same benediction. It was the one chosen by Paul as he closed his writings to the church at Corinth, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians…
I’ve always enjoyed silence. Early on, God told Isaiah, “In quietness . . . shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15). Jesus had a pattern of rising early to enjoy the stillness of the morning and occasionally retired to the “mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). Living in a…
Often, when I am preaching on Sunday morning, I have a sleepless Saturday night, or at least partly so. But this was Thursday night and there appeared to be nothing of great significance on my Friday agenda. With her recent death, poet Maya Angelou has been widely quoted. Once she wrote of sleepless nights, “There…
I’m not real sure who originated the phrase, “An attitude of gratitude,” but many a preacher has preached a sermon with that title, most delivering it around the Thanksgiving season. One source attributes the origin of the phrase to motivational speaker Zig Zigler, who said, “The more you recognize and express gratitude for the things…
Our tour bus stopped for a photo opportunity at the beautiful little fishing village of Neils Harbour, located on the Cabot Trail of Cape Breton Island of Nova Scotia. The Cabot Trail is called the most photographed highway in Nova Scotia and further described as nature’s longest roller coaster. Shortly after we resumed our tour,…
How is a person to be known? Various quotes indicate they are known by their silence, deeds, the company they keep, friends, books they read, tastes/distastes, and thanks to Jesus, “by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). May I add another, or perhaps an application of Jesus’ term “fruits”? A person is known by their office. Early…