On this Sunday of St. John of the Ladder, we are confronted with the power of doubt and a lack of spiritual discipline to weaken us in our faith. What can we do about doubt? How can we stay strong for the spiritual battle that is everyday life? [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPvEJWBnoa8&w=560&h=315]
There’s a prevailing notion that the mere granting of mental assent is believing. But is that really true? Is that really enough to actually believe? Does simply saying you think something is true to mean you truly believe it? I know we live in a society that likes to reduce...
The concept of “holy space” takes a beating in our modern society that values egalitarianism above hierarchy. But without one place being set aside as “holy” we lose the ability to see the “holy” in every place! In our Scripture Lesson today we read how God promised Abram (later his...
Daring to follow God's plan for your life is an act of faith that rarely happens by accident. You have to be listening to hear His plans! So how do you develop a lifestyle that makes you attentive to God's direction for your life? It all starts with being willing...
It is said that the greatest chess players "see" at least 4 moves ahead at all times. This is why they can anticipate their opponents' moves and be ready for them. But most of us simply don't think that far ahead in our lives. We clutter our moments with as...
Years ago, in my police officer days, I got assigned to the local DUI Task Force. This was a multi-jurisdictional team of officers specifically trained to combat driving under the influence and a direct result of the work of Mothers Against Drunk Driving that had formed in our community....
It's an old word, but I like it. The word "covenant" is such a significant word for we moderns precisely because we have seemed to have forgotten the power of "covenant." Our society is gripped by hyper-individualism that seems to be intoxicated with the notion of "rights" and "privilege"...
"Blood is thicker than water." "He makes my blood boil." We are related by blood." So many sayings about "blood" and so many common sayings from culture to culture. It seems we humans are hard-wired to "know" the importance of the life-fluid we call blood. And yet it would...
At the very heart of the timeless Christian faith is the Eucharist. And you’ve heard me say many times before that the word “Eucharist” has its root in the Greek word for “thank you.” The very center of what it means to be a Christian isn’t some cultural habit...
God will never again destroy His world through water. Next time, as the scriptures declare, it will be fire! Whoah! That sounds serious. And it is! But what makes it serious isn't fear or retribution or even punishment. God simply isn't interested in that elementary and easily misunderstood interpretation of...
