I have not written a blog post for over six weeks. Change has come to our household, and seemingly it has come quite suddenly. In a month, my wife’s mother passed away, her father was diagnosed with dementia and needed around-the-clock care, and as a result, my wife has retired from her hospital chaplaincy position. In the last few weeks, we have mostly lived out of my in-law’s house as…
Read MoreThat’s Not Fair!!
That’s not fair is a universal statement and sentiment. We are laboring under the idea that everything is to be fair, and it must be fair all of the time. You and I possess a keen sense of fairness. This sense of justice is especially real if we sense we are the ones not receiving as much as someone else. There is a story that Jesus tells in Matthew 20:1-16 which…
Read MoreMy Life Is In Your Hands
I resonate with the phrase “my life is in Your Hands.” Kirk Franklin has written a powerful song with this title that expresses the sentiments of how life is lived by faith. Life is not one string of consecutive victories piled on top of each other. For believers, as for everyone, life is filled with pleasant surprises and mishaps. There are ups and downs, discouragement and a lot of emotions…
Read MoreCircumstantial Grace
Grace is a word I have heard for most if not all of my life. I have read about it in the Scriptures and here are a few examples: But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5 For the grace of God has…
Read MoreI walk among Heroes
This is my second time to live in metro Indianapolis. I moved here for the first time in the mid-1990s. I was pastor of a church. I moved back in 2011 when I was elected to my present position. In the last few days, I have been in contact with a few former parishioners who are passing through some deep waters. There are a few who have experienced significant health…
Read MoreThe Road Map Of Life
Did you know that there are marks on your heart? Not literally, but the people who have been a part of our lives leave us ‘marked’ with their presence and deeds and attitudes. Yes, without a doubt, some have marked our hearts and lives in negative ways. Some have impacted our lives in positive ways and left their mark. Have you ever considered the places that have impacted your life?…
Read MoreA Story From The Fifth Grade!
There are events that happen in life that will impact and color our outlook for years to come. Unfortunately, these events do not arrive with flashing lights and sirens to warn us that we are about to experience a significant event. Mostly they come disguised as the common ordinary experiences of life. Only after some reflection do we come to understand the impact of these events. Some are positive, while…
Read MoreRunning from God
I just recently preached from the Book of Jonah. The story is familiar, The Word of the Lord comes to Jonah and tells him to go to Ninevah and preach. Jonah decides not to go to Ninevah and runs from God. He goes to port and gets on a ship going the opposite direction from where God asked him to go, and while on board he falls asleep and a…
Read MorePassing Through The Valley
The path through the world is not a continuous well-paved super-highway. The terrain of life has both high and low places. In the spiritual sense, we speak of mountain tops as well as valleys. Mountain top experiences have come to mean those times in life when we are doing well. Spiritually we are experiencing victories and many other areas of our life are going well. During these times we are enthused…
Read MoreHave Mercy!
Lamentations 3:22-23 English Standard Version (ESV)22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. There are so many things in life that come and go. As I have often heard: “here today, gone tomorrow.” Examples of this concept would contain so many stories and illustrations that one could fill an entire library with the content. The…
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