With my daughter home from college and temps rising, I am ready for summer. Maybe you’re getting there, too? There’s nothing like a good book by the pool (or ocean!) to make a perfect summer day.
Recommendations, Church, Culture, Easter, Abortion
Returning, not performing: My friend and colleague Stacy MacLaren says, “And here’s the point: the fast is not the goal. The fast is simply space-making. It’s a way of loosening our grip so God can have more room. And if the practice makes you meaner, prouder, sharper, or more self-righteous…that is not the Spirit of Jesus. A Lent that doesn’t move us toward love is not the Lent God is inviting us into.
How to fast: Cassie Achermann concludes, “Start with just one meal. Use that usual mealtime to pray, and let the hunger teach you about your need for God. Do it on your own, or invite a few friends to join you in praying for a mutual need or concern. Call out to God, asking him to use this practice to bring you to prayer. And see how he works.”
Biblical Studies, Christian Living, Leadership, Politics
You might wonder why a king would hesitate to remove false places of worship. Put yourself in his sandals. Tearing down high places meant disrupting cultural norms, challenging family traditions, and risking public backlash. If you were inclined toward people-pleasing, you would avoid touching those altars. You might say to yourself, “I’ll do what’s right before the Lord, but it’s not my responsibility to make them do what’s right.” If you were pragmatic, you might reason, “There are more pressing political and economic issues to address.” But God does not measure leadership by popularity or pragmatism. He measures it by faithfulness.
Identity, Relationships
Who respects the body more? Christians or the world? I bet most Americans would answer that the world loves the body more than Christians do. After all, the world celebrates its sexuality and supports going after whatever our body desires. Many will judge their Valentine’s Day on whether it was a day they got what they desired.
Ours is an age of affirmation, and our bodies appear to be the object of that unquestioned affirmation.
But what if it isn’t true that our world truly values our bodies? What would it mean for issues such as gender and abortion if the Christian ethic is actually the worldview that honors the body most deeply?
Recommendations, Christian Living, Fear, Forgiveness, Relationships
The reality behind our culture’s favorite mantra: Matthew McCullough begins, “I don’t know where it came from, but now it seems to be everywhere. I hear it on podcasts and TV shows. I’ve seen it on T-shirts and social media graphics. A quick search for it on Amazon brings up hundreds of results, ranging from books for kids and adults to silver charm bracelets to hoodies of many colors to embroidered makeup cases to wall hangings and throw pillows and stickers to place on your rearview mirror. I’m talking about the simple, uplifting mantra for our times: ‘You Are Enough.’”
Culture, Prayer, Spiritual Growth, Suffering, Worship
Jesus wept (Jn. 11:35).
This is the shortest verse in the Bible.
It is profound as it applies to the heart of Our Lord, Jesus Christ; to those whom he came to save: You. Me. Us.
There is much pain and confusion in our world today. You don't need to look far to see it. Some of us have been brought to our knees in grief and in this moment cannot hardly see past it; the same can be said of those of us in the throes of financial woe; relational strife; physical affliction.
Hopelessness. Dread. Despair.
