The Practice of Belonging
The eternal words of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu really help me with both the Read More
Today's Disciplines Devotion
We begin this week of devotions deep down in the depths of despair—of Abraham’s and of our own—as we read of the patriarch being called by God to sacrifice his son...
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When God called me to be a preacher, God used Psalm 40. I was still in high school, and when I read the beginning verses about God leaning down and lifting...
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My wife has been hospitalized twice recently with a respiratory infection that makes it hard for her to breathe. How glad I was this week when she reported how much better...
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I had a disagreement with a theologian after a sermon I preached. This seminary professor questioned my use of the phrase “children of God” to refer to all human beings. “Through...
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A basic tenet of the Christian faith is God’s transcendence. God is utterly different from creation, a truth attested in many great hymns like “Holy, Holy, Holy” and “Immortal, Invisible, God...
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Babies are born with many instincts that aid their survival. One of the most remarkable abilities is their instinctive movement toward their mother’s breast immediately after birth. When placed on their...
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Stephen is a simple man with real fears and doubts, living in a specific historical context, who responds to the events of his life with faith, love, and compassion. Stephen’s life...
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What is the foundation of our salvation if not the lifelong realization that God is good and that in God there is nothing to fear? God’s generous offer of love, mercy,...
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This passage recalls one of the fundamental challenges of Christianity: God’s relationship to human suffering. The brutal murder of Stephen at the feet of Saul reminds us that following Christ is...
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One of the most repeated statements in the Bible is the call not to be afraid. Yet amid life’s many challenges, we often struggle to heed this call. Jesus knows the...
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The disciples long to see the Father; yet they have had Jesus right in front of them the whole time. We might sigh in disbelief at the disciples’ seeming cluelessness. However,...
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