Here’s a favorite bit from Isaiah 45: “I am the LORD, there is no other. I form the light, and create the darkness, I make weal and create woe; I, the LORD, do all these things. Let justice descend, you…
Dew Drop In
Dancing with the Devil
Some may have taken note of the Satanic goings-on in the world at large. In particular there have been a number of news stories about the large Baphomet (an idol of Satan) statue that was unveiled in Detroit. Is this…
Six Resolutions for Your Fall Ministries
It’s that time of year when many ministry staff and volunteers are preparing to launch or re-start initiatives, groups, programs, and more, as students and adults transition back from summer vacation season. Sometimes we can get caught up in the…
Elijah’s Bread
Readings for Aug 9, 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B It’s hard enough to do the right thing. But when you get blame for it instead of praise, it really takes the wind out of your sails, even if…
Holiness (not Happiness) is the Goal
Pursuing individual happiness will never make you happy. Personal happiness is often the byproduct of holiness – but it is never the goal. [Tweet This] Before everyone freaks out, let me explain what I mean. The process of becoming holy, or…
You say Epiphany, I say Apophany
I’m currently helping facilitate a session of the Great Adventure Bible Timeline Bible study. This is a great Bible study, based on Jeff Cavins’ Bible timeline. It takes you through the books of the Bible as an historical narrative of…
The Feast of the Transfiguration
Readings for The Feast of the Transfiguration One of the bible’s names for the God is “El Shaddai” or “God of the Mountains.” And from the very beginning of salvation history, we see that mountains are a special place to…
The Hair Stylist, the Mass and the Martyr
Acts 29:1-8 was the First Reading that morning, recounting the story of Paul traveling from Corinth to Ephesus. There he found disciples who became believers through the baptism of repentance by John and were waiting for Jesus. They said, “We…
Joy
I was on retreat Saturday with our middle and high school youth ministry core teams. One of our deacons gave a talk on joy and said it was necessary to have joy in order to share the Good News with…
You are what you eat
Readings for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time A few years back George Gallup conducted a poll called “Religion in America.” He studied two groups of Americans, regular churchgoers from various Christian churches on the one hand, and totally unchurched…