All of us find ourselves coping at the moment. We do so in different ways—walking, painting walls, reading books, binging on Foyle’s War for the third time. Part of how I cope is writing, processing. Working on a book I am not sure will be published, but giving eight, ten hours a day to it.[…]
Read MoreIn P.T. Forsyth’s The Soul of Prayer, he writes, “Prayer is where our thought of God passes into action and becomes more certain than thought.” This is what I find in Jonah’s prayer—his prayer in the belly of the whale, a.k.a. his quarantine. In this period of divinely enforced social distancing, where there was no[…]
Read MoreThere are two things getting me through this extraordinary season. And no, it’s not putting up lights and pretending it is Christmas. The first is relationships. Family. My prayer group on Sunday nights. My band of brothers on Monday nights. We Zoom in and share what we are learning— -focus on what cannot be shaken![…]
Read MoreThere are lots of ways to react to this pandemic. Become obsessed with it, watching the news 24/7 and keeping up with the articles that pop up every few minutes. Or find some form of escape, be it watching Foyle’s War or reruns of the Twilight Zone (especially the apocalyptic episodes). Prayer may be our[…]
Read MoreIn all of this strangeness–in truly uncharted territory–one cannot but wonder if God has suddenly imposed upon the world a necessary Sabbath rest of sort. Stores, restaurants, and services are closing by the minute. Could it be God is inviting us to replace hurry and activity with needed sanctuary and silence? It feels a bit[…]
Read MoreI am reading Erik Larson’s new book, The Splendid and the Vile. Each chapter grows more ominous. It is June 1940, and a German invasion of England seems imminent. Defeating France, Hitler is now able to position his Luftwaffe to strike England with massive force. There is every expectation he will soon launch an invasion[…]
Read MoreI’m still thinking about the young woman I met in Beirut last Fall. She was taking my class in pastoral theology, and she mentioned in passing that she and her husband drive eight hours each way to church every Saturday. She is from Saudi Arabia. It may be that they lack the technology to provide[…]
Read MoreYesterday, I caved. Hoisted the white flag. It all started innocent enough. I decided Friday to contribute my part to the wellness industrial complex. I went in for my second shingles shot. Outside of a bit of discomfort in my left arm, I would be fine. Ride this out. The pharmacist administering the medication[…]
Read MoreI miss your wonderful sermons, Pastor John. This was a sad but wonderful reminder that we need to make the…
There are some moments in life that level you. Force you to slow down, look in the proverbial mirror and ask some necessary questions. The first came this past week. Friday night, I and a colleague made our way to a prison, heading west, driving through the coast range. It was terribly dark, the rain[…]
Read MoreThere is still time to sign up up for our study tour to Turkey in May of 2020. It will be our most expansive tour yet, beginning in Antioch and ending in ancient Constantinople. We will travel by air, land, and sea, exploring everything from theatres to castles[…]
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