Searching for Meaning and Purpose...

The official motto of the United States is the Latin phrase, "E Pluribus Unum" or "Out of many, one." It's fitting, as the US formed from 13 colonies and then became a conglomeration of 50 states working together as one country. But further, it fits because of the multitudinous peoples who filled the country- all immigrants coming to seek a future in a land beyond the sea- many of whom were greeted by the statue that stands for liberty and justice for all. It's the idea of a melting pot- many influences creating something unique, different, yet harmonious. That is what the idea is, but it doesn't necessarily take root when not encouraged to! It's also the idea at the root of the church- out of many, one. Diverse peoples with myriad giftings and abilities drawn into relationship because of the love of their Savior to do something no one else ever could. That is a miraculous vision- where people live, love, and work together with one purpose under on...

There hasn't really been a lot of "good" news lately. Violence and terrorism inspired by race, religion, or politics all over the US and around the world, the very real possibility of war or nuclear conflict with North Korea, then the hurricane and flooding in and around Houston- that's a lot of bad news in a short span! It's easy to become depressed at the divisions and anger on display in so many of these places and situations. To become afraid thinking about the possibility of a madman at the controls of nuclear weapons pointed at who knows where (and the realization that regardless of where they might actually be pointed that they could fall anywhere). To empathize with those who've lost everything in Houston and their plight- the sheer devastation. It's all enough to make one want to cry- the physical release of all the pain, anguish, and suffering we see daily- compounded by the enormity of it all. There seems to be little hope and far less "gli...

While I haven't been silent on the current state of things in our country and my city, I hadn't committed everything to words. In face of the mounting evil, pain, loss, hatred, and more I believe there are things we must acknowledge and come to terms with as people, as Americans, and especially to those who claim "Christian" as their identity. This is long, but I have to say it all at least once- 1) Evil is evil. There's no middle, there's no grey area, we either stand for or against evil. There isn't anything justifying the taking of life or moving into violence for a cause- not even heinous racism, opposition to said racism, or evil itself- outside of self defense or the saving of lives (FYI- I agree with Bonhoeffer: our job is to love as long as possible hoping there will be change, but then to do all in our power to stop the madman driving the bus not merely patching up the wounded in their wake. That was his logic and decision in the case of s...

A mystic named John of the cross coined the phrase- "the dark night of the soul" a long time ago. He said it was the moments before the light- when the dark seems darkest as we fight through painful suffering to grow & mature in our faith. If you've been alive longer than a few years, you've probably encountered one of these seasons- when things aren't working, nothing is going right, and everything seems stacked against you.  It's painful- and for those of us in ministry, it's all too often inflicted by the very church we serve. I vividly remember a conversation with a personnel committee in my early days of ministry, I'd been given a "growth plan" to work through and thought I was doing well.  But, in that meeting, I was told I wasn't growing fast enough- that led to a discussion about options and led to me being asked to tender my resignation.  It hurt- and I'll be honest- it led me to a dark place: questioning my faith, ques...

After Mary's visit from the angel Gabriel, she goes to visit her aunt Elizabeth (to verify the angel's story & celebrate with family!).  Meanwhile, Joseph is confronting an ugly reality.  He's engaged to Mary- which for most intents and purposes- meant they were married.  Mary is pregnant.  This begins to show and soon he either sees it for himself or hears about it.  Scripture tells us: Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly... In Jewish culture, to have committed adultery meant death according to the law. However, in 1st century Israel, the death penalty was off the table- it was reserved solely for the Roman government. Joseph still could have done a lot of things, many that would be close enough to death (public disgrace through a divorce trial, censure as an adultress, etc.). But he text describes Joseph as a "good" man, which puts some sense into his choosing the...

Last time we set the stage- the culture, the mindset, and the historical setting.  Today we start with just a small town girl... God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,   to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow ...

Every Christmas the season is ushered in with decorations in stores, the familiar refrains of Christmas music, the scents of holiday goodies and pine, stirring memories and marking the beginning of the season. The music, sights, and scents stir our minds and cause memory recall to Christmases prior- why?  Simply put, because humanity is so much more than just minds- we are sensory beings and our senses are intimately tied to our memories.  Our memories are so intimately tied to our senses that if I asked you about someone or something, you'd likely relate it to one of those sensory experiences: a scent, the way something felt, a taste and not just data.  There's an old Chinese proverb that says, "Tell me and I'll forget.  Show me and I'll remember.  Involve me and I'll understand."  Totally true for most people and I'll tell you, that is imminently on purpose.  The Creator made us to know, understand, and remember with the senses He gave us not just on...