Category: New Beginnings

… is most dangerous when you stare at it. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. [1 Peter 5:8] How often to you consciously think about evil?

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost […]

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance […]

In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love. Augustine Yeah, but what are the “essentials”? Yesterday I asked the question Who’s “They”? in the context of our propensity to draw lines and categorize ourselves in terms of we and they. Then I ran across this familiar Augustine quote. It made me wonder why, […]

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. [1 John 1:9] I’m sorry. Those words don’t always come easily, and sometimes really meaning them is harder than saying them. But what happens once you’ve mustered the courage to apologize?

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. [Isaiah 43:18-19] How long does “new” last? Just a few weeks ago we celebrated a new […]

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that […]

Am I a Christian? Yesterday I wrote about labels (What’s Your Label?) from my perspective as a wheelchair user. One commenter observed that labels make it easier to navigate our relationships. Once I know you’re one of “those” I automatically respond in a certain manner. While that may not be right, it’s probably realistic.

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 […]