In the gospels, Jesus speaks of the “kingdom of God” or “kingdom of heaven” more than 100 times. In fact, the Gospel of Matthew tells us that Jesus launched his ministry with the words, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” The kingdom...
Lent is a season during which I find that having a “traveling companion” is very helpful. To that end, I am pleased to offer some book recommendations. Two that I have used in previous years and that are designed as day-by-day readings are Wondrous Encounters...
Noise, noise, noise: we live in a world filled with noise. Whether I am at home or at work, I am bombarded by noise. There is, of course, the never-ending sound of traffic—neighbors coming and going, sirens blaring, cars whizzing past my office accompanied by...
Friends, how did you survive the Blizzard of 2016? In many ways it has been a fascinating week. It seems there’s nothing quite like 30 inches of snow to expose our true natures. I was traveling last week, originally scheduled to fly into Dulles Saturday...
Friends, it’s been a tough week. We all have those, don’t we? Weeks when we particularly feel the crush, the push and pull, the “chronic-ness” of life. My tough week has been a result of forces both within and without: a virus laying me low,...
Last Sunday I preached on the baptism of Jesus. For churches that observe the liturgical year, it was “Baptism of the Lord” Sunday which means that I was only one of thousands of pastors across the country and around the world who were preaching on...
Today is Epiphany. It is also my daughter’s 27th birthday. Happy Birthday, Honey, and save me a piece of the Oreo Ice Cream Pie! But, back to Epiphany. Epiphany means “manifestation”, as in, a manifestation or appearance of the divine. On the church’s liturgical calendar (which...
Friends, as 2015 draws to a close, I leave you with a poem and a prayer……. When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of...
Friends, it is Christmas Eve. Tonight in churches, on military bases, in houses and huts and tents, on hospital wards, in airports and bus terminals, in homeless shelters and on street corners, people all around the world will, in various and unique ways, celebrate the...
This morning I experienced one of those magical moments of the Christmas season. It was dark and still in my house, no one stirring yet, and I sat on my couch, wrapped in a blanket with mocha in hand, mesmerized by the white lights and...