What Do You Think God is Preparing Us For?    Good Morning Friends,    Our spiritual journey has some interesting twists and turns. Being prepared for them is not easy. Studying the Bible can help. Fellowshipping and worshipping in community can help. Still recent events boggle the mind and test the spirit. There is a … Continue reading What Do You Think God is Preparing Us For? →

Whose Line Is It Anyway?    Good Morning Friends,    In today's scripture we read about Amos, a compassionate shepherd who cared enough to confront those who were leading Israel down the wrong path. He writes about truth speaking to power.  The setting is about 760 years before Christ... around the time of the start of the … Continue reading Whose Line Is It Anyway? →

Have You Experienced the Positive Power of Humility?  Good Morning Friends,  On the heels of having written a devotional on the connection in Christ with our strengths and weaknesses, I found it providential that humility was the stated topic at the New Canaan Society meeting yesterday. The two topics are linked. And it reminded me … Continue reading Have You Experienced the Positive Power of Humility? →

Have You Discovered the Power of Christ in Making the Connection Between Strength and Weakness?      Good Morning Friends,  There is an innate temptation of fight or flight that lures us away from living the abundant life Jesus offers. The compulsion is to withdraw into safety or grasp for worldly power. But the budding and … Continue reading Have You Discovered the Power of Christ in Making the Connection Between Strength and Weakness? →

Do We Know The Doorkeeper?  Good Morning Friends,  Pope Francis gave a homily last week on the opening and closing of doors in the lives of Peter and Paul and it prompted me to think about this idea of spiritual doors in our lives and the reality that next year will be the 500 year … Continue reading Do We Know The Doorkeeper? →

 Are You Ready for Something Amazing?  Good Morning Friends,  Today's message about the workings of the Holy Spirit really starts a few verses before our lectionary reading. So I will include the beginning of the chapter to set the context for the events. The story is that of Paul preaching and his friends performing extraordinary … Continue reading Are You Ready for Something Amazing? →

When Will Peace Extend to All Nations?  Good Morning Friends,  The Fourth of July brings up many themes of patriotism. Today we celebrate 240 years of our United States of America existence and demonstrate a sense of pride in our nation. Some will do so in appropriately and carefully crafted presentations of celebration and pride, … Continue reading When Will Peace Extend to All Nations? →

How Do You Deal With The Problem of Anxiety?  Good Morning Friends,  Do you have confidence in the midst of a personal crisis? When you face life with God's help you can answer in the affirmative. Today's scripture directs us, in the face of changes in nature and changes in society, and changes in our … Continue reading How Do You Deal With The Problem of Anxiety? →

Do You Really Know About Grace?  Good Morning Friends,  In today's scripture Paul is passing on what he had learned about what is necessary to build up the Christian Community. Paul gives us an understanding that badly formed spiritual leadership, leadership that does not reflect a God-filled life, can be very damaging. Paul describes in a unique and wonderful way … Continue reading Do You Really Know About Grace? →

How Do We Build Better Cities?  Good Morning Friends,  The destruction of Jerusalem, the fall of Rome, the dismantling of Detroit, were all pretty traumatic events in the history of those places. The demise of certain churches in Holy History follows a similar path. But the Bible tells us that this dynamic of people and … Continue reading How Do We Build Better Cities? →