Over the past several weeks in our midweek services at church we’ve been wrestling with the gospel, the good news of Jesus. Our task has been to take what we know of this good news message and summarize it in about seven words. There’s nothing magical about seven words. There’s nothing all that special about this number necessarily. The number seven is a simple number that is small enough to remember and long enough to pack a meaning. So what are your seven words? Continue reading
Category: Devotion (Page 8 of 13)
Ok, so if you know me at all, you’ll see the title of this post and immediately be curious if I have any idea what I’m talking about. And for those of you who don’t know me all that well – I don’t rest the way many people rest. In this post we’ll look at rest and try to determine if there is a right and wrong way to rest. Continue reading
In a recent podcast I was listening to, the topic of Sabbath came up. It was actually an interesting talk and it made me think a little about my definition of this very churchy word. At the outset of the podcast I started to think that I was pretty terrible at this whole “sabbath” thing. And I’m still not convinced I have it nailed but I do feel a tad less horrible about it! Continue reading
Have you ever been struck with the funny, almost scary feeling that life is just way out of focus? I mean like you’re just going through the motions or that you’re having a hard time finding where you are in this big thing we call life? In a few recent conversations with several people, it sounds like I’m not the only one who has struggled with this! Wow is that ever refreshing! Continue reading
On the twelfth day of Christmas
my true love gave to me
twelve drummers drumming.
As we wrap up our Christmas journey, we sit at the feet of those who have gone before us. One of the tenants of the Christian faith is called the Apostles’ Creed. It is a statement of faith that sums up the teachings of Jesus and His closest followers, the ones we call disciples or apostles. On this the twelfth day of Christmas we celebrate what they have passed down to us. Continue reading
On the eleventh day of Christmas
my true love gave to me
eleven pipers piping.
Throughout our journey through the 12 days of Christmas, some have made a lot of sense and others have been a little more of a stretch to connect the gift with the meaning. This is one that makes a lot of sense. Eleven pipers piping. After all, what would you expect a piper to do? Continue reading
On the tenth day of Christmas
my true love gave to me
ten lords a leaping.
On this the tenth day of Christmas much of our nation us blanketed by colder than normal temperatures. Snow storm warnings are hitting the east coast. Even Florida is expecting a freeze. It seems like we’re in the throws of a winter blast but for some reason, Christmas seems so far behind us. But today is still part of that Christmas journey. We’re not done yet! Today we celebrate 10 leaping lords. Continue reading
On the ninth day of Christmas
my true love gave to me
nine ladies dancing
On the ninth day of Christmas we celebrate a gift that has a couple of different thoughts behind it. Some say that this day is a celebration of the nine classes of angels. While this is possible, I believe there is a little better way to approach this one. A more widely accepted meaning of these nine ladies dancing is the gift of the 9 Fruits of the Spirit. So we’ll look at it from that angle. Continue reading
As we begin a New Year today, I have to let you in on a struggle. The struggle is that I start each year with the best of intentions. I spend time reading my bible reading plan, but have a hard time making it through the entire year. My desire fades part way through the year. I find myself running on autopilot by the middle of summer. Then by the end of the year, I’m simply hanging on for dear life! Continue reading
On the eighth day of Christmas
my true love gave to me
Eight maids a milking.
Throughout this post-Christmas journey, we’ve been looking at the word of the famous 12 Days of Christmas song. Each morning we dive into another meaning hidden behind the silly and often awkward gift we are to receive. Today is really not different. Cloaked in the gift of milking maidens we find another reminder of where God is in the world today. Hidden behind this gift stands another promise of God’s presence in the simple and often overlooked things in life. Continue reading