Good morning: Tomorrow is Confirmation Sunday. We look forward to hearing four young men confess their Christian faith in preparation for receiving the strengthening and comforting blessing of Jesus’ body and blood in Holy Communion. It’s easy to think of the confirmands standing in front of the congregation as the center of attention. Yet that…
Good morning: “I don’t want to go to school!” Sooner or later nearly every child says that to Mom and Dad. There may be tears and tantrums as the parents try to convince the son or daughter that school is good and learning is important. In our complicated, technology-driven world, education is essential. Learning to…
Good morning: Did you wake up this morning with a favorite melody playing in your head? Did you take advantage of bathroom acoustics and sing in the shower? We like to sing. Even if our voices and sense of pitch are less than ideal, there’s nothing quite like expressing ourselves in song. Joy, sadness, and…
Good morning: Job uncertainty, family stress, political controversy, violence, technological overload—Just signs of the times, many would say. But Jesus points to another sign which is even more troubling. In Matt. 24:12 He says, “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.” When a person dies, the body grows cold….
Good morning: “Too scared to move” is more than just a figure of speech. It’s a reality. A sudden crash somewhere in the house in the middle of the night may be so startling that even though you know you should crawl out of bed and investigate, you don’t really want to. Fear of making…
Good morning: In one way, the events of Good Friday were not that unusual. The Roman government regularly crucified those convicted of heinous crimes. Passersby might stop and gape for a while, but then go on their way. After Jesus’ hasty burial in Joseph’s tomb, the Sabbath day rest began as usual. Life went on….
Good morning: As my wife and I slowly made our way toward the back of a cramped plane, we glanced longingly at the seats in first class. Wide and comfortable, with legroom to spare, those seats held the promise of comfort and relaxation. If we had been offered the opportunity to sit there at no…
Good morning: “He is the greatest player to ever wear the uniform!…He is a disgrace to the game!” She is the best author of all time!…She should never have picked up a pen!” Certain people elicit strong contrasting opinions from others. No one is neutral toward them. Either you are enthusiastically “for” them or adamantly…
Good morning: How do you feel about laws? For example, you’re driving along and come to a barricade in the middle of the road and a sign which says “Road Closed.” What do you do? Do you think, “That’s for someone else,” and drive around the barricade? Do you turn around and mutter under your…
Good morning: When you hear someone misuse God’s name in an angry, careless curse, when a celebrity flaunts their immoral lifestyle, when a group publicly states that Christians should keep their beliefs to themselves, how do you feel? It’s nothing new. A Samaritan village once refused to receive Jesus and His disciples on their travels….