Settled
To grow up in Christ will make you settled. See Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by the devil. The devil makes three attempts to lure Jesus away from his identity and purpose.
Time
“…we expend time to gain space and the things of space..…” “But time,” he says, “is the heart of existence.” “The higher goal of spiritual living…is to face sacred moments.
Dangerous Oddness
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you and pray for those who abuse you.” Those are Jesus’ directives to us who call him lord.
Love
Either we bless ourselves or curse ourselves by our choices. Either we bless ourselves by deciding to be coachable by God or we curse ourselves by being heedless to God.
Expectations
I know prayer and faithful action are their own reward, but expectations seem to matter with God. Expectation is the first-born child of faith, it is “the substance of things hoped for….”
Tested
Jesus suffered, abandonment, rejection, betrayal, abuse, grief and finally murder. He even wondered if his suffering meant that he was “forsaken.”
Tick-Tock
“Tick-tock” used to refer to the passing of time marked by a second hand on a watch or clock. When Matthew tells his story of Jesus, he often uses a word that points to the rapid elapse of time, “immediately.”
47/96
On January 20th, Donald J. Trump will become our 47th President. Simultaneously, we will honor the 96th birthday of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. This striking national intersection offers us three opportunities: to celebrate the peaceful transfer of power, to be refreshed by the sustaining eloquence of Dr. King and to emulate his principled approach to presidents and politics.
Resurgent
We must once again have full faith in our country–and in one another. I believe America can be better. We can be even stronger than before.
Loosen
It may be in the new year rather than taking up new practices and projects, we may need to loosen our grip on old ways, dated conclusions and lifeless alliances.