The romance of the heart is with our humanity and God. When we fall in love with a person in a romantic relationship, they capture our thoughts, feelings, and undivided attention. We fabricate and fantasize about ways of spending every waking moment enamored in their presence and company. Young couples describe their reason for getting married by the intensity of their all-consuming and growing relationship. “I know I love her because I want to spend all my time with her... Read more
In various ways, Jesus communicated the Kingdom of God is present in the here and now. His first words were “The time has come; the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mk. 1:15) There are a new kingdom and a new realm of time and space revealed. There is a radical paradigm change in how we engage and perceive life. It is the Eternal Now of the Kingdom of God. In the eternal... Read more
One day I placed a chair in the middle of my study and sat down….whether we recognize it or not we all need a quiet place one on one with God. I felt like a nomad thirsty and dying with no visible water in sight. I didn’t know precisely how I would quench my spiritual thirst, but I knew what I was looking for I was seeking the presence and love of God in the center of my heart. My... Read more
One time I was asked, what is the most significant hindrance to being aware of God’s presence in your life? It was an easy answer….Me! Without the light of the living Christ, I am a dead man walking in the world unconscious of anything but my self-absorbed life. One day touched by the tender grace of God, my eyes responded to the marvelous light shining in the darkness, and the Holy Spirit revealed the depths of God’s love for me.... Read more
When we seek an ongoing relationship with God silence is golden, where we contemplate our communication as being a God-centered instead of a self-centered dialogue. Life is not about us, and it never will be. Life is centered in the will and love of God. After decades in Christian ministry the verse, “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10) would help unravel the mystery of walking in a heightened awareness of the abiding presence of God in... Read more
I fondly remember entering the sanctuary of my hometown Methodist Church as a little boy and being told to be silent and respectful as I prepared for worship. The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him. Habakkuk 2:20 I admit the silence was annoying for me but in my young mind, it was something religious I needed to do. I did understand that silence meant reverence for God, but anything that told me... Read more
There is a Sioux Indian saying: The longest journey you will make in your life is from your head to your heart. It is especially true in transferring the knowledge about God in your head and being able to experience the excitement of loving God in your heart. I am on the same journey for I understand the tremendous odds against us to transfer the truth about God’s love and possess it as a feeling of love in our soul.... Read more
Contemplation is seeing the world through God’s eyes with the spiritual revelation there is much more to life than our five senses. It is the contemplative awareness of the eternal dimension of life. Jesus portrayed it as living life in the fullness of the divine kingdom of God. God is the one who is behind the mystery of all that is seen and unseen. The resurrected Christ encourages us to focus on the invisible presence of God in everything we... Read more
We are all broken, and that’s all right. The message of a dying Messiah on a cross communicates suffering and brokenness are an intrinsic component of life. In the ache of our broken hearts and the company of unrelenting grief, we may also experience that life is full of expectation and joy. There is a liberating truth when our hearts are broken open we may replace the brokenness with love, compassion, and hope and not fill it with self-pity... Read more
Wayne Muller headlines a chapter in his book “Sabbath” with the title “Fear of Rest” and opens it with this humorous but poignant tale. Rabbi Levi saw a man running in the street, and asked him, “Why do you run?” He replied, “I am running after my good fortune!” Rabbi Levi tells him, silly man, your good fortune has been trying to chase you, but you are running too fast. We all seem to be in a hurry to... Read more
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