Words for Advent: Light – a timely word for dark days

December 21, 2012 By 2 Comments
the hut... light in the darkness

It's cold; and darkness has swallowed the last light of the day.  I'm walking up a remote snow covered road in the Austrian Alps with my daughter and lots of friends.  A snowmobile rushes past carrying children headed to the same destination as us.  As the sound and light of it disappears, we are enveloped once again by winter's dark night, and the sporadic silence that comes when people are hiking uphill.  We can look back, or down into the valley, and see the lights that represent shelter … [Read more...]

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Words for Advent: Life

December 14, 2012 By 6 Comments
P1060324

I come down off the slopes, having spent a day skiing in Austria with some friends after a very full week of teaching students, meeting staff here, and doing church work at home.  The day couldn't have been better, and the upcoming night was perhaps, for me, the highest privilege of all.  I was the speaker for graduation this evening.  I love young adults, and at the end of spending a week with them, to be granted the privilege of offering final words before they sail from the shelter of … [Read more...]

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Words for Advent: Anticipation

December 12, 2012 By 1 Comment
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It's Wednesday night.  I'll be teaching this evening, and then again tomorrow for several sessions.  Then there's graduation on Friday night, where I'll be privileged to share for a few minutes before the students celebrate the completion of their time here at Tauernhoff. It's always around this point in my "two weeks and change" trip to Europe that I begin to long for home.  This trip will be extended for a few wonderful days of fun with my daughter who teaches in Germany, as she visits … [Read more...]

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Words for Advent: Suffering and Shalom

December 5, 2012 By 1 Comment
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There are moments of perfection in life, moments you wish could be frozen forever.  Such was the hour this past Sunday as I walked with my daughter and her boyfriend on a now familiar path through the countryside on the southern border of Germany.  Everything about the walk was perfect.  It had been snowing all morning, but stopped just prior to our walk leaving the landscape and architecture blanketed in snow white.  The light was sensual, the conversation perfectly appropriate. The land … [Read more...]

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A Word for Advent: “Do not be afraid”

December 3, 2012 By 2 Comments

You can't go anywhere in the world these days without a reason to be afraid staring you in the face.   Here in Germany, people are worried about all the money they're giving to other parts of Europe as an attempt to hold the economic EU together.  This is taking it's toll here in a similar way that the fears of the fiscal cliff are taking their toll in America, especially as the clock ticks and we hear nothing other than how some elements of our political system are so entrenched in their … [Read more...]

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10 things for which I’m praying during Advent…

December 1, 2012 By 1 Comment

10 things I’m praying for this Advent… Posted on November 10, 2010 Advent season is here, and I offer this re-print from an earlier year.  I'll share later this week, from Germany where I'm teaching this week. A favorite listen for this season comes from Sara Grove’s Live Prison tour music, –  I listen to Sara sing, “Star of Wonder, star of light, star of royal beauty bright…guide us…o guide us…o guide us.” With Sara, I call out in prayer to our Lord this … [Read more...]

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The Keymaker – and the keys to peace and joy

November 28, 2012 By 3 Comments
The Keymaker who drove 50 miles

I needed a locksmith, and couldn't find one in the closest town who'd be willing to drive up to our place in the mountains.  We rent the place to guests, believing and hoping that time spent out of the city and away from television will provide an environment where people can encounter God, perhaps hear God's voice with greater clarity.  A key had gone missing, and we needed to change some locks, but nobody was willing to drive 20 miles to visit us. 50 miles though, is another story.  I … [Read more...]

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Are we there yet? How to live outside of sexual (or any other) Nirvana

November 20, 2012 By 2 Comments

Because I'm going to be preaching and teaching on the subject of sexual ethics and relationships this winter, I'm reading and talking about sex a lot these days.  I've recently read this, received this in the mail from someone, and just finished this on a recent flight.  This last book was terribly powerful; well written, transparent, as he shared his joy in what I call "shalom moments" while swimming in a sea of unfulfilled desires. His struggle is profound and near the surface because Wesley … [Read more...]

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Reading Both Books for Building Better Bridges

November 16, 2012 By 3 Comments

One of the things that's most annoying about what's come to be called "Christianity" in western civilization is its tendency to create people who are withdrawn from the real world.  This happens because of a false understanding of what "the world" means in scriptures like this one.  The result is an inherent suspicion of anything other than the Bible, "Christian" books, "Christian" music, "Christian" schools, blah blah blah. The fruit of this mindset is a group of people who are fearful and … [Read more...]

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Blood Work and Politics – post election thoughts about certitude

November 8, 2012 By 9 Comments
loving my blood

I wouldn't normally share my blood test with you, but it's the perfect illustration of why I'm becoming more concerned with post election pontificating than I was with pre-election vilifying and empty promises.  I received the results back from my blood test the day after the election and, as you can see, I'm grateful to be healthy. What, you might ask, do I eat in order to enjoy the right levels of fat in my blood for optimal heart health? Most days begin with 4 slices of low sodium bacon … [Read more...]

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