I like acronyms. Through the years, I have enjoyed making them up. Now one can find long lists of acronyms on the web, acronyms for just about everything. I like it best when an acronym has a dual meaning. A number of years ago, I entered a new ministry and one of the first activities …
Category Archives: Christian living
Living at a Special Time
I admit it–sometimes I think about strange things. Today I am thinking about the special blessing I have had to live at this particular time in history. In Bible classes, we try to think about what it would have been like to live in the time of Abraham, or Moses, or Jesus, or at some …
Legalism and Mediocrity
[Working on an article–here is a draft of my introduction. What connections have you observed between legalism and mediocrity?] The ultimate result of legalism is mediocrity—a willingness to do the minimum, a lack of motivation to go beyond that which is required. Perhaps you have seen this quote from Alexander Solzhenitsyn: “A society based on …
Choosing the good over the best
Good, better, best. The sequence of positive superlatives is not always easy for children to learn in English class. I suggest it is sometimes equally difficult for adults to learn in daily life. Paul wrote to the Philippians, praying that they might know how to discern what is best (1:11). How often do we sacrifice …
When life is normal
Life is filled with special events and unique experiences. A special Sunday, a special speaker, a touching encounter, an overwhelming sense of commitment. Spiritual high points give us hope and encouragement. Yet the reality of the routines of life is this: the greatest challenge of Christianity is to know God’s presence and power in the …
Giving Thanks in Difficult Days
The Thanksgiving weekend is past. Today is “recovery” day. Most in our nation will return to some version of normalcy. For some, this Thanksgiving has been another traumatic holiday in a string of downturns and challenges. Normal is full of trouble. For others, the holiday was better than normal (or at least better than in …
Why Christian?
I am thinking about why we Christians do what we do. Why do some who claim to be Christians not do the things generally associated with Christianity? Why are some involved and others inactive? Such a big question requires more space than I have today. But my thinking led me to consider the following question: …
Discipleship: Following Jesus
I reflected and remembered former days as Ken Short described his childhood experiences—trying to follow his father through the drifted snow, carefully trying to walk in the exact footsteps, but sometimes failing because his legs were too short and his father’s strides were too long. It is not easy to follow exactly in another’s footsteps. …
Yield: Where He leads, I will follow
I have sung the song for years, “Where he leads I’ll follow….” Easy to sing, difficult to do. Where is God leading you? What does God want from you today? What will we do today that affirms that we are faithful followers? I remember an illustration I have used since my early preaching years. Paul …
Less than Comfortable
It makes me a bit uncomfortable to admit it, but the idea of walking with Jesus sometimes makes me uncomfortable. His presence in my life can be quite demanding, even overwhelming. It is tempting (and easy) to run from the full implications of his presence. It is tempting to settle for a watered down version …