(A Red-Letter Believers Christmas Tradition) One of my favorite Christmas songs is I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, taken from a poem penned by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The poem was written in the middle of America’s Civil War — and the despair engulfed the nation. It was a time of personal despair for Longfellow. His wife had died tragically. After trimming hair from her seven-year old’s head, she decided to preserve the clippings in sealing wax. Melting a bar of... Read more
Jesus saves, but who’s saving Jesus? There have been a number of thefts at Nativity Scenes across the nation. It seems that thieves have been robbing the cradle, snatching baby Jesus from the watchful guard of angels, shepherds and parents. Without the baby, it’s just a crowded barn scene. Mary suddenly looks out of place. She was stroking her promised child, now her hands are brushing air. Joseph, bowed in humble prose, now prays for a rapid return. “Who stole our baby?” To combat... Read more
If you love good, gospel music with a positive outlook, you’re going to love Carey Dyer’s Slow Down. There’s literally a style to match every interest in this panoply of musical wonder. It’s a collection of reworked hymns, classic songs of faith and new work. But it’s unlike anything you’ve ever heard. Take the first track, He LeadethMe. My memories of this song are with the red Baptist hymnal perched on my belt, as we sang the first, second and... Read more
I found God in the woods. He was there and I heard him. I could have stayed there in these woods, just the Master and me. But If a man looks at the Atlantic from the beach and ten goes and looks at a map of the Atlantic, he will be trying from something Read more
When things go wrong, often the first response is to root out responsibility.It happens in my workplace, and probably yours too. “Who dropped the ball?” While proper accountability is an important part of most organizations, we often get tripped up looking for the guilty party instead of actually fixing the problem. There is little to be gained by engaging in the unnecessary criticism of your predecessor or coworkers. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whose fault it is. What matters is whose responsibility it... Read more
The story of Christ’s birth is full of signs. Angels. Visitations. Stars. Old women and virgins alike giving birth.And throughout Christ’s ministry, there were signs. Everywhere. Feedings. Shriveled legs growing. Blind eyes seeing. So, who can blame me when I ask for a sign? As a humans, I’m trapped in the limitation of time and space. I’m forced to operate within the confines of what I see and touch. Anything beyond that, I just don’t understand. Nor can I comprehend eternity or anything that doesn’t conveniently... Read more
His denial was huge. He had turned his back on his friend and the man he had pledged his life’s efforts to. Sworn to go to the death, Peter went down in a whimper. Deutsch: Münster, Petrus-Skulptur And now, here he was, face to face with the man he had denied. Trembling now that Jesus predictive resurrection had come true, the disciples ate bread in wide-eyed amazement. But Peter had the sinking feeling. They both knew the awkward truth. So... Read more
The blinking cursor greets me. “How can I find peace” I type slowly, feeling a little silly. Here I am “Googling,” a nonsensical word that would have inspired laughs and guffaws 10 years ago. Today, it’s a part of our eeryday lexicon, a verb and a noun all in one. I ask the ghost in the machine the question. It takes Google all of .39 seconds to find more than 860 million results. That won’t do me much good. ... Read more
Chasing the Wind The Search for Meaning in a Meaningless World Replacing God Intro I am constantly on the look out for people that I can relate to. I smile when I see a guy reach over and begin nibbling on his wife’s dessert. I have a link to the person who catches a nap during a boring meeting. I can relate to the man who walks through a mall like he is a death march. Bill Murray – Groundhog... Read more
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