A Prism Splitting Pure Light
Read: Revelation 8:1-5 When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. (v. 1) One of the most important parts of any song is the moment right before it starts. The silence before a song is the precious cup into which the song is poured. It is a […]
Pleasing Sacrifice
Read: Hebrews 13:15-16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have. (v. 16) Respectful. Responsible. Kind. The school my children attended used these three words to help students think about their behavior. There were rules for classroom behavior and how to stay safe on the playground and for many other situations, but […]
Christ Alone
Read: Hebrews 13:8-9 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (v. 8) When I was a baby, my doctor told my mother that it was best to lay me on my stomach to sleep. He said that babies were happier on their stomachs and were less likely to choke if they spit up. […]
Simple Love
Read: Hebrews 13:1-7 Let mutual love continue. (v. 1 NRSV) When I had two children in elementary school, I was constantly signing student homework planners to keep track of what was happening in class and receiving quarterly reports of all of the assignments my kids had or hadn’t turned in. Report cards came home regularly to […]
Peace Be with You
Read: Hebrews 12:14-15 Strive for peace with everyone. (v. 14) Each year we plant a small garden in our back yard. The kids can pick cherry tomatoes for snacks and I have fresh herbs for my cooking. Tending a garden, though, requires some vigilance. If we don’t give the garden some attention regularly, it will soon […]
Training Regimen
Read: Hebrews 12:3-13 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees. (v. 12) I’m wonderful at making plans to get in shape. Following through on them? Not so much. But I’ve found that the few healthy habits that have stuck have something in common—they fit into my life and become a part of my […]
Cheering Squad
Read: Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses . . . let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (v. 1) A few years ago I trained all summer for a triathlon. I worked hard and committed a fair amount of time to my preparations. […]
God’s Motley Crew
Read: Hebrews 11:23-31 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land. (v. 29) Sometimes I look around at the people in the church and think, what a strange group of people we are! First, I realize that with some people I have almost nothing in common except that we worship in the […]
A Promised Home
Read: Hebrews 11:8-22 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. (v. 16) In our family, we have two philosophies of campfire tending. I tend to be a “let it be” tender; if the fire’s burning, leave it alone until it’s not. It’s good, why mess with it? My husband, […]