“Fragile and Fertile” Those are the words that keep showing up in my notes to churches as I end my greetings with something along the lines of “Know that my prayers are with you in this fragile and fertile time.” The combination is intentional. Over the years, I have...
“Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5: 18 I always knew that debauchery wasn’t a quality to which one should aspire, but it wasn’t until I focused on this text that I actually took the time to get a clearer...
“Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” John 6: 42 Oh my, oh my, oh my! I know this story all too well. I have a “little sister.” She was born almost exactly two years after me. In my...
“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry; and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6: 35 “Wait a minute,” I thought, “Why would Jesus want to take away our thirst while the psalmist encourages our thirst?” I have to admit that...
“Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples.” John 6: 3 “When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” John 6: 15 A year ago I was just a few weeks from...