James Bond likes his martinis “shaken, not stirred.” But, according to St. Paul, God likes God’s people stirred, not shaken. We are stirred by the fact that we’re partners with God in God’s righteous purposes. Stirred that we have been given the good news that God is...
“You are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.” A beautiful fact is on display in this simple sentence. Just as the disciples were with Jesus from the beginnings of his ministry, so Jesus has been with us from our beginnings. God in God’s genius...
The thing about God’s love is that it persuades. Gently, but clearly. Not controlling but accompanying. God’s love isn’t bought off by our charms. God’s love isn’t impressed by accomplishments. God’s love suffers through our egos’ need to recite our virtues until we...
“With my whole heart I cry…” for: Atatiana Jefferson, Botham Shem Jean, Anthony Hill, Terence Crutcher, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, Walter Scott, Eric Harris, Jemel Roberson, Jimmy Atchison, DeAndre Ballard, Robert Lawrene White, Ramarley Graham, Manuel...
“Seek the peace of the city. Pray for peace in the city. Your peace is tied up in the peace of the city.” This is what God told Jeremiah. There’s no real well-being until well-being reaches all segments of the population. This idea runs counter to our gated community...
God gave Timothy many gifts. The gift of a mother and grandmother who passed on their sincere faith to him. The gift of clarity: “God did not give us a spirit of fear.” And the gifts of power, love and self-discipline. Also translated as ability, love and sanity....
Jesus echoed the good news from Isaiah and brought it forward. Enfleshed it. Good news that disrupts the bad news. Good news for the people who are on a constant diet of bad news. Good news for the poor. Good news for the blind and those behind bars. Freedom for those...
If you’re going to have an intimate and active life with God, you’re going to have to say no to three things: smallness, separateness and superiority. You’re going to have to realize that we are a human family; that we live together on a blue ball made mostly of...
What happens after the crowd leaves? When there are no more people to please, no more performances to pull off, and no more approvals to win, then what? In that moment, some will choose the crowd over Christ, the crowd over the Christian we could be. In The Origin of...
Went to see Rob Bell this summer. He’s touring the world talking about joy. Here are a few quotes from my notes: “Cynicism is easy and for lazy people. The cynic is a recreational user of the heavy things of life. Joy moves from lightness to heaviness, back to...
