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wisdom
As the days remaining for Jesus to tarry on the earth grew short, His words must have carried an even greater urgency. Listen again to one of the last parables He shared with His disciples: “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At…
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hosanna
Twin themes of humility and repentance ran through our service today. An odd choice for the typically jubilant nature of Palm Sunday, you might think; let me explain. Pilgrims coming from distant villages for Passover flooded into the lanes and gates surrounding Jerusalem. Along with their traveling bags, they brought with them new stories of the miracle maker: His healings, wise teachings, acts of compassion and mercy. Prophecies foretelling the Messiah were searched out and examined; zealots hungry for Rome’s overthrow whipped the crowd into fever pitch. Some were caught up in the general excitement. Others were certain that this man—riding in on a donkey colt as the prophets had…
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spotless
Huddled in their homes, seeking shelter from the chaos that threatened to tear their world apart, families waited anxiously for word that all was well outside. There had been murmurings of a Redeemer who had come to set them free, but the idea seemed ludicrous, especially in light of present circumstances. For just as rampant were the rumors that Death stalked any who ventured beyond their front doors … nothing new under the sun Conditions surrounding the first Passover were not all that different from today, in some ways. Let’s slip on their worn sandals for a moment, and see what the plight of these ancient Hebrews might have to…
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dawning glory
I have been stumbling blindly through these strange days, trying to find my footing. My equilibrium is wildly off-balance, swinging between extremes of frantic busyness and dull paralysis. This isn’t the first time God has pointed out to me that my erratic emotions need a tempering hand, nor will it be the last time He extends His to bring me back into peace. Peace. Shalom for body, soul, and spirit. Not the absence of trouble, fear, or uncertainty. Instead, a table prepared for feasting while my enemies swarm around. A resting place at the very center of the storm. “Come apart with Me,” He beckons, “Abide with Me, and be…
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awakening
Spring is teasing at the edges of my cozy winter world. If I’m honest, I’m not sure I’m ready to see it come. True, there has been a lift to my spirits as I witness the watery edge of blue peeking shyly out beneath the dark skirts of the morning sky earlier each day. I know better than to expect the season’s full advent here in the dark wilds of February. Yet the pale sunshine and mild winds that accompanied my walk yesterday afternoon were decidedly springlike, and not at all unwelcome. Normally, I would be kneeling for a closer look at the signs of new life stirring just beneath…
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expectant
I’m not a mother myself, though I still hope to be someday. Even without the benefit of personal experience, I can never separate the word “expectant” from the adventure of childbirth. To me, it’s the perfect picture of all that word entails. Everything from joyful anticipation to anxious apprehension; the bliss and the discomfort; the excitement, pain, inconvenience, and hope; all of it is rolled up into that precious, holy season. Of course, this idea is not original to me. It’s woven into the story of Scripture from beginning to end. Over and over, God speaks to His people in terms of the cycle of life: growth and death, rebirth…
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walking upside down
Grace gifts. Some of them are easy to identify, like a snow day descending in early November. Others take a little more digging to uncover, wrapped as they are in uncomfortable packaging, or even seeming disaster. But in this upside down Kingdom, they can be the very things to shake us from our precarious perch on the familiar and catapult us into the terrifying freedom that waits beyond. a case of mistaken identity A few weeks ago, I read the modern classic Stellaluna to my students, a picture book by Janell Canon. It’s a sweet story about a lost baby fruit bat who is taken in by a family of…
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blaze forth
I stepped outside early this morning and was brought nearly to tears by the beauty of our Creator God. The moon hung in a pristine white sliver among stars so startlingly clear and close they seemed poised to drop into my hand. Words from Romans throbbed with the beat of my heart: For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that we are without excuse (1:20). So clear, so close, so infinite and yet personal … love for my God swelled large in my spirit and His praise danced on…
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vibrant
An earlier post I shared — the first about my struggle to live the single life well — received more comments and feedback than anything else I’ve written in recent memory. That told me something I had already suspected: that I’d touched a nerve, connected with an unmet need. In writer-speak, I may just have landed on my “platform.” There is a weight on this message, an urgency to speak it forth, yet I feel a bit as if I am stumbling around in the dark, stubbing my toes as I grope for the light that was just right there a moment ago. What is it, Lord, that You would…
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solid rock
Few lives in Scripture have been painted in such vivid strokes as that of Simon Peter. A faithful reader can trace his character arc from rough fisherman to zealous disciple, fearful turncoat to bold apostle. More than once recently, I’ve had cause to remember the final interactions Jesus had with Peter surrounding His crucifixion. Etched deeply in all our Sunday school memories is the story of Peter’s three denials of His professed Messiah. Following closely on its heels is his parallel restoration, when the resurrected Christ offers Peter three chances to reaffirm his love. But the episode that has long been dear to me, and the one which has captured…
