How do you expand your circle? If you’ve followed along for a while, you know that I think about this community as a circle. The basic idea is that the circle defines whatever the community’s about-core values, mission, goals, stuff like that. You can check out the about page or Defining The Circle for some […]
Continue readingCourage
Happy Monday! It’s the beginning of a new week, a new year, and even a new decade—just in case you didn’t know. So, since everything else is new, we’re going to try a new Monday feature for Bouncing Back. I’m creatively calling it our WORD OF THE WEEK. The idea is to simply put a […]
Continue readingGrace And Truth
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. [John 1:14] Grace and truth? I think a lot about John’s opening verses describing Jesus simply as The Word. I love the poetry, […]
Continue readingWhat’s Going To Happen?
What will happen in 2010? The only answer, of course, is that we have no idea what will happen. And, to a large extent, we can’t control many of the events that will shape our lives in the next twelve months—or the next twelve hours. We can control only our attitudes and our efforts, the […]
Continue readingSetting The Stage For Success
So, how did 2009 go for you? A few weeks ago I asked a question (Who Else Wants To Finish Strong?) about completing the year rather than simply running out the clock. I hope I did that, but now it’s time to reflect, plan, and look forward to whatever’s next.
Continue readingBethlehem: So What?
Yesterday our pastor, Dick Foth, asked a surprising question. In a post-Christmas reflection looking back at Bethlehem, he asked, “So what?” Pastors usually don’t ask questions like that without offering some direction. Dick provided his own insightful answer to “So what?” and also provoked me to seek my own response. I thought it was a pretty worthwhile […]
Continue readingThe Light Of The World
What happens when there’s no light? Last evening I sat in the dark with nearly two thousand people. As we passed the flame from candle to candle, the room took on a warm glow. Then, in unison, we raised the candles and proclaimed: YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD That’s exactly what happened in […]
Continue readingO Holy Night
Christmas Eve, 1906 marked a significant event. One hundred three years ago, the first AM radio broadcast occurred. It’s reported that ships off the New England coast heard the first song ever broadcast: O HOLY NIGHT.
Continue readingThe Paradox Of Christmas
Two shopping days until Christmas! That announcement greeted me first thing this morning, and I was struck by the amazing paradox embedded in a common seasonal countdown. Hurry up and shop for the birth of God’s Son!—sounds a bit silly if you think about it.
Continue readingChristmas In A Single Word
Agape. That’s it. If you want to distill the entire notion of Christmas into a single, simple concept, it’s Agape. Self-sacrificial, intentional love. That’s the message of Christmas. I was thinking this morning about the idea of approaching Christmas intentionally (10 Ways You Can Enjoy An Intentional Christmas) and I had the idea that I […]
Continue readingSometimes You Just Gotta Chuckle
If you’ve been following along, you’ll understand that this hasn’t been the easiest week for me, so it was a good time to encounter the following silly story. The theology’s a bit shaky and there’s no real moral or lesson except that it’s good to chuckle occasionally and stop taking it all so seriously.
Continue readingAdversity And Christmas
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back […]
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