“Forward!” is the watchword of the spiritual life, a movement toward a destination that seems so incredibly elusive, but one into which we will step when it does in fact materialize. But “Forward!” is incredibly frightening. It can be costly. It requires change. It requires patience. It requires determination. It requires humility. It requires faith. Moving READ MORE
Hebrews
Understanding Old Testament Moral Code
I have had a couple of questions recently from folks wondering how to process difficult Old Testament legal requirements relative to today’s moral climate. Below is an excerpt from an email I sent in response to such a question: Thank you for your email. You are asking a very important question. Let me attempt an READ MORE
A Cry in the Wilderness
The wilderness is a place of desolation, deprivation and despair. Here the harsh voices within our souls scream bloody murder, taunting us, pointing out our foolishness, our shame, our sins, questioning who we really are and why we are so lonely. The vulnerability of the wilderness plays on our deepest fears and leaves us wallowing READ MORE
Remembering 9/11
In the language of the ancient Hebrews there is a word that invites all who hear it to intentionally, sensitively and with a sense of sacredness memorialize some moment or event or person that is worthy of recollection. It is the word zakar, and it is a word that has been on my mind a READ MORE
Divine Intervention or Man’s Invention
The Apostle Paul can almost see it happening. There, in the soft glow of lanterns and torches, pious men teach in sanctimonious tones to men and women scattered on blankets and rugs, a room full of people eager to ensure that they are okay with God. “What does the law of God tell us?” those READ MORE
I Lift Up My Eyes to the Hills
Psalm 121 is one of my very favorite psalms. I have read it at the graveside of a teenage friend killed in a car accident. I have read it at the bedsides of innumerable hospital patients. I have repeated it to myself when anticipating a tough conversation or a difficult sermon or entrance into a READ MORE