To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here What’s the key relational issue in the Bible? That’s easy: It’s forgiveness. Apart from the willingness and the ability to forgive, human relationships simply hit the wall. But how do we forgive monsters – the people who have ravaged our memories, our reputations, our bodies, and our souls? Here is where… Read more »
To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here Pastors sometimes get surprising questions. In his book The Good and Beautiful God, James Bryan Smith recounts a story he heard from his friend, Pastor Jeff Gannon. A young woman called Gannon out of the blue and asked, “May I come to your church?” What a question. “Of course,” said Gannon, who was surprised she… Read more »
To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here Malcom Gladwell, longtime staff writer for the New Yorker, is known for a series of celebrated bestsellers. They include The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers. Gladwell has a knack for uncovering interesting stories in unexpected places, and demonstrating how things we expect to find often turn out to be surprisingly different…. Read more »
To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here Every day during this season of Lent we’re looking at the miracles of Jesus – his spectacular displays of supernatural power that are reported in the Gospels. Frank Abagnale has made a living telling amazingly improbable stories. About himself. The 75-year-old Abagnale claims to have masqueraded as an assistant state attorney general in Louisiana,… Read more »
To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here According to the Jewish Scriptures (Deuteronomy 22:12), men were required to wear fringes along the edges of their cloaks. Traditionally, these fringes ended in four tassels of white thread, with a blue thread woven through them. The tassels were to serve as reminders, every day when getting dressed, of the high call to obey… Read more »
To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here “An eye for and eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” Gandhi famously said that if we take that Old Testament dictum to its logical conclusion, the whole world will end up blind and toothless. The only hope for healing in our broken world is if two wounded parties decide not to hate each… Read more »
To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. The Bavarian village of Herzogenaurach is known as “the town of bent necks,” all because a pair of brothers couldn’t figure out how to get along with each other. Their quarrel not only divided an entire population, but sparked international intrigue and ultimately generated the global craze for sports footwear. In the wake of… Read more »
To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. Daniel E. Sickles (1819-1914) considered himself one tough guy. As a New York City politician in the 1850s he was involved in a number of public scandals. When he learned that his young bride was having an affair with Philip Barton Key II (the son of Francis Scott Key, who had penned the words… Read more »
To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. It’s no surprise that author and pastor Tim Keller, who spent decades leading a congregation in Manhattan, often heard the question, “Does God really exist?” But in his conversations with New Yorkers he heard another question even more frequently: “If God is a God of love, why can’t he just forgive everybody?” The Christian… Read more »
Throughout the month of August, we’re taking a close look at 23 verses of the New Testament. They comprise Ephesians chapter one, which paints one of the Bible’s most comprehensive pictures of what it means for ordinary people to be “in Christ.” Several years ago, I decided to surprise Mary Sue by cleaning out the drain in our shower. I removed the… Read more »
