Coming down the hill from Yosemite required downshifting in order to spare the brakes. Third gear worked the best, but it was not meant for the flat straight-aways.
But getting the shifter back into Drive required determined strength, inspiring a moment of concern about the remainder of the trip home. This was not pleasant to be discovering this at 60 miles an hour. Continue reading →
“Did you see the picture of the President praying with his council of religious leaders,” he asked. “What did you think about it?’
We were in the produce department of the grocery store. The question came immediately after ‘hello.” Not a good sign.
It was soon apparent to me that this was a loaded question, based on the presumption that I would agree with his opinion about the praying President picture. “You’re a pastor; surely you would find the picture gratifying and refreshing.” Continue reading →
Ancient Israel was politically and religiously pragmatic. The earliest description of this can be seen in the nation’s clamor for a Golden Calf to quell their fears at Mount Sinai.
Fearing that God had abandoned them, they called for Aaron to cast an idol they could see and worship. They did this In spite of the fact that the Calf was of their own making and had no existence prior to the time when they turned their jewelry into a statue. Continue reading →
“I don’t believe it. It’s fake news.”
The post came from a web troll who didn’t like the post. It was about a Kuwaiti company’s beautiful anti-terrorism video which called for an end to terrorism and sang, “let’s bomb violence with mercy,” “delusion with the truth,” and ‘hatred with love.” Continue reading →
No Jokeby Jim Henderson and Cara Highsmith
At a small group meeting recently I told a group of people from our church about the imam, rabbi, and pastor from Peoria. “Sounds like a joke,” said one of our group members. It does sound like a joke!
But it’s not. These three men from Peoria are real, honest-to-goodness friends. And Jim Henderson is helping them take their wonderful story public. It’s a story we all need to hear because of the rancor, fear, and division we’ve all experienced in the past year. Continue reading →
My editor asked me to rewrite the piece I was working on, using no personal pronouns. It seemed like an impossible request.
Everything I do has some sort of personal reference. When I get in my car I am thinking about where I want to go. Or, when eating, what will taste good to me. Or, when speaking, whether I will receive accolades from those listening. Continue reading →
I grew up being taught that the Lord’s Prayer was irrelevant to the lives of contemporary Christians because the Kingdom, for which Jesus prays, was now present in the church. Why pray for something that already exists? Right?
So much of my life I missed out on the benefits of living inside the world of Jesus’ concerns and requests of God. It wasn’t until the last several years that the Prayer became a daily part of my life. Continue reading →
