It’s near impossible to maintain a relationship when affections for each other are cold. Not impossible, mind you, but near impossible. There remains one nail left to hammer on the coffin of what was once a lively friendship. But the coffin’s not closed.   We’ve just begun a mini-series on toxicity: what it looks like,... Continue Reading

Solomon compares the way of the sluggard to a hedge of thorns. In his sloth, he wants to take the shortcut, the “easier way,” but what he finds instead is more pain and difficulty. In our case, it was the shortcut of trying to avoid the immediate pain of spending a little extra money for... Continue Reading

The Christian imagination wasn’t “made-up reality” but “the capacity to make connections between the visible and the invisible, between heaven and earth, between present and past, between present and future.”   Recently, I received simultaneous news about two separate situations—one good and one bad. Each one involved people connected to the church I pastor. In... Continue Reading

Think of a dad who makes promises to his child. He might promise a wonderful gift or an enjoyable vacation. And because the child trusts her father, she believes that the promise will be kept. She might even count down all the sleeps until the day arrives!   The future can be hard to face.... Continue Reading

 The whole of God is glorified in Christ; and though some part of the name of God is written in the universe, it is here best read—in Him who was the Son of Man, and, yet, the Son of God.   “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom... Continue Reading

UMC General Conference “reduced our overall general Church budget by more than 40%” and that Graves’ remarks were “part of an earnest conversation between board members about anticipated funding requests.”   A bishop of the United Methodist Church has sounded the alarm on the denomination’s current funding issues, declaring that its “financial house is on... Continue Reading

We must remember that the battleground of our hearts is a place for grace. There are real reasons to feel angry in this broken world, but we do so from a broken heart. If we work that anger back to our self-righteousness and idolatry, we will see that we need to change more than any... Continue Reading

They spend money on bells and whistles that look cool and tech savvy, but get no returns. They spend money because they have always done it that way, or because their competition advertises that way. It’s all stupid.   She was in her 90’s and still actively engaged in real estate with her daughter. Anyone... Continue Reading

We’ve all been hungry, thirsty, tempted, beaten down, and afraid. So has the Man of Sorrows. We’ve all grieved life’s betrayals, having loved people dearly only to have them forsake us. Jesus has been there, too. We’ve all been misunderstood   I have had a headache for a very long time. It started on January... Continue Reading

John takes a different perspective. Like a visitor to an art gallery who selects a few works for more detailed perusal, John chooses particular aspects of Christ and His work for close consideration. His is a reflective gospel, one that takes us by the hand and leads us into the depths of the mysteries of... Continue Reading