Ordinary Grace Blog
The Latest Posts
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Giving Thanks for Dreamers
“They said to one another, ‘Here comes this dreamer… we shall see what will become of his dreams.” –Genesis 37:19,20b The verse we just read comes from a key moment in the Biblical story of Joseph. That future second-in-command to Pharaoh was a 17-year-old at the time, openly favored by his father Jacob. Such status…
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An Honest Prayer
“I believe; help my unbelief!” –Mark 9:24b I have a friend named Diane who, when we were classmates at a Presbyterian college, told me she didn’t believe in God. It would have never occurred to me then that someone would attend a church-related school and be an atheist yet it was true for her. We…
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Piecing It Together
“Were not our hearts burning within us, while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” –Luke 24:32 When I was in 10th grade, my English teacher was also my mother. Certainly, my father and she had been the primary language guides since birth, but during the…
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A Reminder for 9/11 and Beyond
“Do not fear, I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.” –Isaiah 43:1 In the three years of this blog’s existence I have only twice made a post on a day other than a Sunday. The 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 seemed like the appropriate occasion to…
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God’s Hope for Our Work
There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink and find enjoyment in their toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, –Ecclesiastes 2:24 On this Labor Day weekend, I’d like to ponder with you the nature of work; not only the things we do for pay but the other…
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Gaining True Clarity
“Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again, and he looked intently and his sight was restored.” –Mark 8:25 The verse we just read comes from a Biblical account that tells of two firsts in Jesus’ ministry. As far as Mark’s gospel records, that day recalls the initial time Jesus restored sight to one…
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A Continuing Choice
“Choose this day whom you will serve.” –Joshua 24:15b One day thirty years ago, I had a revelation in a department store. It wasn’t visible to anyone else, nor did it have theological import, but rather came in a moment while shopping for blue jeans. Unlike school days, my typical wardrobe as a pastor doesn’t…
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More Important Than the Title
“Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” –Matthew 5:16 There used to be a preaching professor at my seminary whose pet peeve was weak sermon titles. He would often tell his students that the title of the sermon should be…
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There’s Only One You (and Me)
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” -Psalm 139:14a When I made my college choice years ago, I did so fully aware that my oldest brother Ed, would graduate from the school three months before I arrived. His positive experience at Davidson had been a factor in my decision to enroll, too,…
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Our Primary Job
“One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” –Psalm 145:4 One Sunday many years ago, I was sitting with my family during a worship service led by the youth of that congregation. It was a morning like all Youth Sundays I have experienced as it provided visible evidence of…
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Given Without Asking
“Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.” –Mark 8:12 Immediately prior to the words from Jesus we just read, he had fed 4000 people with seven loaves of bread and a few fish. Only Mark and Matthew speak of this miracle in…
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Words and Deeds
“Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” –1 John 3:18 Years ago while returning from a family beach vacation, we stopped for lunch at a fast-food restaurant. As I waited for our order to be filled a customer next to me struck up a conversation. Before I…
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Counting on Trouble
“See, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves.” –Matthew 10:16a The minister did not like my answer. It came on a day when I was taking the final step to become a clergyperson myself. I had graduated from seminary, passed my ordination exams, received a call to become pastor of…
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A Good Response on the 250th (and beyond)
“Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.” –1 Peter 4:8 Last October, Lori and I enjoyed a week in Utah. Traveling with her brother and sister-in-law we visited five national parks–Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion. Each of those places has incredible beauty and, despite…
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What Was I Thinking?
“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” –Romans 7:15 I don’t usually remember my dreams, but one night recently my subconscious imagined an encounter with Jimmy Dixon. I had not thought of Jimmy for a long time as he…
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A Look Back
“forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 3:13b-14 Lori and I just returned from a trip to Iceland and Greenland. Over the course of ten days we saw geysers and glaciers, waterfalls…
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The Best Place to Start
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.” –Philippians 2:3 Eight years ago, the congregation I was serving granted me a 12-week sabbatical. Over the span of that time away, I traveled extensively, including overseas visits to Armenia and Georgia, Kenya and South Africa. The theme for…
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When We Just Can’t See It
“He laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus… has sent me to you so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’’ Acts 9:17 In 2005, Lori and I attended my college reunion. Other than a similar gathering ten years earlier, I had not returned…
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The Best Foundation
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” –Matthew 7:24 During my childhood, our family lived in five different homes. For those of you who spent your entire growing-up years in one place, such frequent re-locating might seem strange…
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A Place For Us
“Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah…in the land of Canaan Genesis 23:19 The verse above comes from a chapter that tells of the death of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, at the age of 127. “Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her” the…
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A So-Called Church
“Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?” –Matthew 7:3 A few years ago, I took the opportunity to worship at another church located a half-hour away. I didn’t get to do that very often in the years that I…
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A Journey with Mom
“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.. Her children rise up and call her happy.” Proverbs 31:26, 28a This post appears on Mother’s Day. On the subject of moms–biological and relational–I am a particularly blessed man. Everyday Lori, our daughter, and daughter-in-law inspire me with their love…
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An Uncomfortable Faith
“Peter said to him, ‘Lord, you will never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.’” –John 13:8 26 years ago, I spent four days touring Washington, D.C. as a chaperon on our son’s fifth grade class trip. In many ways, it was terrific event. I had been…
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Scattered, But United
“Let us make a name for ourselves, otherwise we will be scattered.” –Genesis 11:4 The words we just read come from the Tower of Babel narrative. The people had migrated to a place located in modern-day Iraq where they launched a massive building effort. Scripture says that when God sees their activity that the Divine…
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God’s Word and Our Words
“The LORD revealed himself to Samuel by the word of the LORD. And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.” –1 Samuel 3:21-4:1 One day many years ago, I was sitting in a preaching class of students in their last year of seminary. Each of them, including me, was about to graduate and…
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A Longed For Day
“he shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth.” Isaiah 11:3 “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,” Isaiah writes “and…
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Whatever It Takes
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” –John 20:29b There’s been a lot of attention in recent years to what is known as “Near Death Experiences.” That phrase refers to the times in which a person is pronounced clinically dead, but is then revived and soon begins to share…
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Forsaken, But Not Alone
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” –Mark 15:34 Years ago, my job with the Southern Bell Telephone Company moved me to Shelby, North Carolina. On learning of that transfer, I began searching for an apartment and soon discovered that one man owned most of the available units in town. I found one…
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Holding On to Our Integrity
“Then his wife said to him,’ Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God and die.’ But Job said to her…’Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not the bad?’” Job 2:9-10 The words above introduce us to an individual whose name gets raised in casual conversation. Many times in…
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Be a Mustard Seed
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field.” –Matthew 13:31b As a 6th grader, I began to play the trumpet. I was part of the school band for the next two years, too, and enjoyed it, but stopped before high school. When my band friends asked…
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No Time For Words
“…not knowing what he said.” Luke 9:33 Forty years ago, I took a group of senior high youth on a week-long trip to New York City. The teenagers were from a small town in Virginia, so that journey held the promise of all kinds of new experiences. It turned out to be that sort of…
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After the Deception
“And now we are in your hand: do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us.” Joshua 9:25 Long ago when Moses spelled out the norms of warfare for God’s people he distinguished between the native peoples of Canaan and those who lived far away. For the former, the Israelites…
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There Goes the Neighborhood
“See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them.” Revelation 21:3a The Biblical verse above comes from a passage when John tells of seeing a “new heaven and a new earth.” Those words from Revelation are often read at funerals for in such times we need to be reminded of a…
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Lessons From a Carwash
“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22 Like much of the country, my home region has already had significant winter weather. I have lived in Pennsylvania for nearly 25 years, but the snow we had a couple of weeks ago is…
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Avoiding Shame, Doing Good
“even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he asks.” –Luke 11:8 The verse above comes from one of Jesus’ most intriguing parables. “Suppose one of you has a friend,” he begins, “and…
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The Bonds of Unity
“making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:3 The audience for the verse we just read was a first century church in Ephesus. That community was an important city in that day, located at the intersection of major trade routes. It also boasted a pagan temple…
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A Choice For Humility
“For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” –Luke 14:7 A former pastorate of mine offered transportation from and to a nearby retirement community each Sunday morning. The congregation had purchased a 21-passenger bus primarily for youth activities, but soon expanded its use. Given the bus size,…
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We Laugh and God Acts
“The LORD said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh?’ Is anything too wonderful for the LORD?’’ –Genesis 18:13a, 14a Eleven years ago, I had the privilege of officiating at the wedding of a couple named Linda and Lee. Both were active in the local community and the bride a long-time member of the congregation. As…
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Bad Jokes and Bold Promises
“Peter said, ‘Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you.’” –Matthew 26:33 As a child, I loved to hear stories about things my mother did as a little girl. By all accounts, she kept my grandparents on their toes. For example, at a young age she once walked by herself to…
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In Praise of Interruptions
“Moved with pity, Jesus stretch out his hand and touched him…Immediately, the leprosy left him.” Mark 1:41a,42a In every life there are moments that we don’t expect. We have our plan for the day or for a lifetime and set out only to discover bumpy stretches when events unfold in a way we had not anticipated. The verse from Mark’s gospel we just read tells…
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Year 2 Discoveries
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” –Matthew 18:20 This post marks my final one for 2025. I began the Ordinary Grace blog in January of last year. In June of this year, I added a podcast version called “Ordinary Grace: Finding God in the Everyday.” As…
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The Story Behind the Gift
“from you shall come forth for me, one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.” Micah 5:2 One of my favorite things about Christmas is when loved ones start opening presents I have purchased. Part of the fun comes in seeing the look on their face; especially…
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A Sung Blessing
“Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” –Luke 1:48 “In those days,” the gospel writer Luke wrote, “Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.”…
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In Plain Sight
“For in plain sight they see the return of the LORD to Zion.” Isaiah 52:8b How could we have missed it? That question is often raised after something goes wrong or we are surprised by events. When the clues were self-evident, but we or others didn’t pick-up on them at the time. It’s part of…
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The Best Kind of Waiting
“While you are waiting… regard the patience of our Lord as salvation” 2 Peter 3:14a, 15a We are in a season of waiting. Advent is a four-week period of time when we long for God to break into creation again. Unlike persons who lived before the time of Christ and awaited the Messiah’s appearance, Christians…
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“And here you are!”
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.” –1 Thessalonians 5:16-18a Seven months ago, I worshiped in the North Carolina congregation where I had served as pastor for nearly eleven years. I made passing mention of that experience in a blog post on April 27. There was another moment from that morning, though,…
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A Glimpse of Church
“Standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind.” –Philippians 1:28 A few years ago, I worshiped at a Presbyterian Church 15 miles from our home. During my working years, when I was in town and had a Sunday off I didn’t typically sleep in, but instead would…
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Witnesses Unaware
“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:3 Several years ago, ten members of the congregation I served at the time traveled with me to Greece and Turkey. Joined by two other women who lived in Pennsylvania, two from Michigan, an Australian couple and a woman from Trinidad and…
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Preachers in Heaven?
“God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eye.” –Revelation 21:3 On the church calendar November 1 is designated as All Saints Day. In many congregations, it is the occasion when, during a worship service, we will remember by name the individuals who have died during the previous twelve…
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Already, But Not Yet
“There is no longer Jew or Greek… for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28 One summer during my seminary years, I worked for a cooperative ministry group in West Virginia. Along with a food bank and clothing closet, that organization provided, at no cost, needed home repairs for the poorest residents…
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Removing the Veil
“And Moses would put the veil on his face again until he went in to speak with [God].” Exodus 34:35b The 34th chapter of Exodus speaks repeatedly of a veil. It wasn’t worn by a bashful bride, but Moses, a great leader of the past. Nor was it put on for a wedding, but before…
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Awe and Wonder
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established…” –Psalm 8:3 Lori and I just returned from a trip through the national parks of Southern Utah. Known as The Mighty Five, they stretch across the Beehive State from Colorado to Nevada and include Arches,…
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A Bold Word
“And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness.” –Acts 4:29 The words above come one day after the disciples Peter and John encountered a man who had been unable to walk since birth. Calling on the name of Jesus, Peter healed him and then told…
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An Essential Reminder
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart.” –Proverbs 3:5 15 years ago, the Session of the congregation I served at the time gathered for a historic decision. Not every matter a church governing body considers rises to that level, of course. This one did as the group pondered next steps in a major renovation…
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The Power of One
“But Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles, and described…how in Damascus Saul had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.” –Act 9:27 His name was Carl. When we first met, he had worked for the telephone company for 39 years. Some of my co-workers had warned me he was odd, even a curmudgeon.…
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Tingling Ears
“Then the LORD said to Samuel, ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle.’” –1 Samuel 3:11 My college roommate Jim is a physician. We first met when I was 17 and have been friends ever since. Each of us served as…
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When the Light Turns Red
“Jacob himself went on ahead of them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near his brother.” –Genesis 33:3 A number of years ago, while still living in North Carolina, I was on my way to the Charlotte airport. I was heading to my sister’s home in Texarkana, Texas. She and her…
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Working Like Frank
“Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord.” –Colossians 3:23a Nearly 25 years ago, my family and I took a vacation to an Orlando theme park with the logo of a very large mouse. The four of us enjoyed the diverse rides and attractions, yet the one moment that left us…
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A Sign of Respect
“Honor everyone” 1 Peter 2:17a “R-E-S-P-E-C-T,” Aretha Franklin famously sang, “find out what it means to me.” In our look at character traits desired for students and grown-ups alike, we come this week to the concept of respect. It’s a simple idea, honoring all people because everyone shares the divine spark with us. Yet as…
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Keeping At It
“‘Yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” –Luke 18:5 The words above come from one of Jesus’ most uncomfortable parables. He opens it by telling of a judge who had no respect for God or people. Certainly those traits…
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Lessons from a Speeding Ticket
“What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.”–Micah 6:7 One day ten years ago, I was only a few miles from my brother’s home in Raleigh when blue lights appeared behind me. I was driving from Pennsylvania to officiate at my aunt’s…
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Walking Securely
“Whoever walks in integrity walks securely.” –Proverbs 10:9a The character trait before us this week is integrity. It’s perhaps one of the easiest terms to define on this list; a kind of living where there is a consistency between our internal values and what others see us do. Living it out, of course,…
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The Challenge of Honesty
“You did not lie to us, but to God!” –Acts 5:4d In our summer look at desired character traits we turn this week to the matter of honesty. My pondering of the topic quickly led me to think of one of the most bizarre Biblical stories in the entirety of Scripture. The account of…
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The Way It Should Be
“Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” –Luke 10:40b More than thirty years ago, our family moved from Kentucky to North Carolina. The change occurred as part of my accepting a call to serve a church just outside…
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An Empathetic Heart
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” –Romans 12:15 A number of years ago, a woman was being ordained as an elder in the Presbyterian Church. As part of the approval process, she was asked by her Session (local governing body) to tell of one person who had had a great impact…
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Brave as a Child
“Who is this…Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” –1 Samuel 17:26b The question above precedes a Biblical showdown. The army of Israel was preparing for battle with the Philistines when the enemy unveiled its secret weapon, a man named Goliath. We are told that he stood more than 10 feet…
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A Dual Citizenship
“But our citizenship is in heaven” –Philippians 3:20 As part of a recent vacation Lori and I were in Norway on its National Day. Each year on May 17, the people of that land commemorate the signing of the Norwegian Constitution in 1814, marking its independence from Denmark and Sweden. Think of it as the…
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Caring Without Knowing
“Go and do likewise.” –Luke 10: 37b During the summer, I’m reflecting in this blog on a list of desired character traits identified by a North Carolina school district years ago. This week we focus on compassion. While many Biblical passages speak to the importance of that attribute, none is more beloved than the story…
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A Prayer for June 22, 2025
LIke you, I awoke to news this morning that the United States had bombed sites in Iran. Like you, I do not understand all of the facts President Trump considered before ordering that strike, And, as I suspect may also be true for you, I am feeling unsettled. Thus, I deviate from the normal pattern…
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Where Appreciation Begins
“So God created humankind in his image.” –Genesis 1:27 A number of years ago, I was part of an Interfaith Advisory Council for our local school district. During one meeting, we learned of character traits that the schools would strive to model and instill in all students. After hearing the plan, another clergyperson on the…
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The Simple Thing
“‘If he had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it?’” –2 Kings 5:13b One day during my seminary years, I went to see a movie called “Fanny and Alexander.” Usually, I would check out a review or act on the recommendation of someone who had seen a film before going…
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Reminders from a Marathon
“Each one helps the other, saying to one another, ‘Take courage!’” –Isaiah 41:6 As part of a recent trip, Lori and I arrived one Sunday morning in Copenhagen. We took a train from the airport and upon arriving at the city’s Central Station, began to walk the few blocks to our hotel. It soon became…
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When the Moment Comes
“When your children ask you in time to come, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them..” –Joshua 4:6b-7a As a high school student, I studied French all four years. There was more than one teacher of that foreign language at Hardaway High, but Mr. Robinson was always my instructor. Thus,…
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How We Witness
“He was a devout man who feared God …gave alms generously …and prayed constantly to God.” –Acts 10:2 The words above refer to a man named Cornelius. Luke tells us that he was a centurion, an officer in the Roman army. By implication it also meant he was a Gentile, a term that…
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One Perfect Mom
“As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.” –Isaiah 66:13 In May of 1986, I traveled to Phoenix, Arizona for the summer. That isn’t the time of year most people choose to visit since temperatures regularly top 110 degrees. I was in town to take part in a unit of Clinical Pastoral…
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The Stranger
“Then one said, ‘I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.’” –Genesis 18:10 I firmly believe that God is always at work. The Bible makes clear that such activity can happen in dramatic ways, but I suspect it occurred then and now far more often in…
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Returning Home
“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” –Luke 8:38a The verse above comes from a day when Jesus healed a man described as having many demons. That transformation was so dramatic that neighbors who had known the man for years asked Jesus to leave. They didn’t understand what had occurred…
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Telling the Story
“For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received.” –1 Corinthians 15:3a Year ago, a friend of mine met a young woman whom he liked immediately. It was one of those times when two people were instantly comfortable with each other and soon they began to spend every…
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The Ones Who Inspire
“We want each of you to show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end.” –Hebrews 6:11 Without even counting two full-time vocational chapters, my working life has been quite diverse. During the summers between school years I bagged groceries and mowed grass, worked as a lifeguard…
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When Patience Wins
“Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” –John 20:29 Before my final year of seminary, I worked as an intern at a church in Prince George, Virginia. One of my roles was to plan and oversee the congregation’s youth ministry. In…
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Going for Broke
“Be on your guard against all kinds of greed” –Luke 12:15 While living in North Carolina, I had a friend named Jack with whom I regularly played golf. We did so as part of a quartet consisting of that 70 year old who still worked in the uniform rental industry, a retiree named Bill who…
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A Life of Temperance
“Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one.” –1 Corinthians 9:25 For a short time after college, I lived in a small town west of Charlotte. During my one summer there, the biggest local topic was a referendum coming up in November. What was…
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Strengthening Our Bones
“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” (NIV) –Proverbs 14:30 In the spring of my junior year in high school I ran for president of the student government association. Looking back, I’m not sure why. I had never been involved in the SGA before. Perhaps I took that…
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More Like Bruce
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but wisdom is with the humble.” –Proverbs 11:2 “Seven Deadly Sins.” Some of you are familiar with that term from Roman Catholic theology. It speaks of actions that can be harmful for one’s spirit–pride, greed, lust, and more. Only recently did I learn that there is a companion list…
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To Tell or Not?
“Then Moses was afraid and thought, ‘Surely the thing is known.’’ –Exodus 2:14b The verse above comes from a day when a secret about Moses ends. Exodus 2 tells us of that moment and several other unknown events in that man’s life that preceded and followed it. Some of those secrets come to light and…
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The Generational Gift
“Why are you…placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors or we have been able to bear?” –Acts 15:10 The Biblical verse above comes from a day the first church governing body had a critical decision to make. Each of the men on that council was part of the initial…
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Moments of Wonder
“The LORD your God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth below.” –Joshua 2:11b More than twenty years ago, Lori and I were keeping a secret. After numerous conversations with the search committee from a Presbyterian church in Pennsylvania, there came the moment we knew I was going to the recommended candidate for…
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An End to Buffering
“Do you have eyes and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear?” –Mark 8:18 This post goes live on Super Bowl Sunday. In the region where I live, there is a clear hope the result of the game this time around will be different than when the same teams met two…
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A Living Psalm
“For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” –Psalm 100:5 The 100th Psalm is one of my favorites. As a pastor I often used it to open a worship service as the words are so fitting for such occasions. “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all…
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Our Words Matter
“Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up…” –Ephesians 4:29a It’s been cold. As I write these words, we have just concluded a week in Southeast Pennsylvania with multiple days of single-digit temperatures. We just had our first significant snowfall, too. While I enjoy the change…
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Time to Act
“Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” –Matthew 19:14 One of the joys for me in retirement is having more time to read. It isn’t a new love. As a child, my mother often found me reading a…
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Seeing the Truth
“One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” –John 9:25 One of my favorite Biblical scenes recalls a day when Jesus restores sight to a man who has been blind from birth. The narrative fills the entire ninth chapter of John’s gospel. In it, the author describes the most hands-on…
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The Best Place to Start
“All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” –2 Timothy 3:16 Some of you will recall from a September post that my first full-time job after college was with the Bell System. I started at an office in Gastonia, North Carolina, but after…
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Glimpses of Grace
“I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you.” –Philippians 1:3-4 This post marks the completion of my blog’s first year. I began Ordinary Grace in January and at least once each week since have offered a true story that spoke…
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A Manger in the Living Room
“and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn.” –Luke 2:7b The chapter from which the verse above comes is a beloved part of Scripture. It is often dramatized in churches during December. Despite that broad familiarity, every Christmas pageant I have seen has included a character and…
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One Holy Moment
“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth” –Luke 2:7a During my last year of seminary, I had the opportunity to be in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. I was taking part in a two -week tour of Israel and Palestine and imagined that being in the spot of…
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An Imperfect Christmas
“In those days, a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.” –Luke 2:1-2 Those words open one of the most beloved passages in the Bible, Luke’s account of the events we will celebrate again over…
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In, Not For
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” –1 Thessalonians 5:18 Later this week, the people of this country will stop to give thanks. The first such celebration occurred in 1621 when the Pilgrims and Wampanoag people marked a good harvest. The modern observance dates to…
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The Best Preaching
“And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’” –Matthew 25:40 Later this week, Lori and I go for Code Blue training. The organization sponsoring that event focuses on the care…
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Asking the Questions
“Inquire now of bygone generations, and consider what their ancestors have found” –Job 8:8 Recently, I toured The National World War II Museum in New Orleans. In general, spending an hour or two in a museum is the maximum visit for me, but Lori and I spent nearly four hours moving through that amazing place.…
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A Prayer for Unity
“I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one.” —John 17:21 Last weekend, Lori and I went to New Orleans. I was officiating at a wedding, but we and the 80 people gathering with us for…
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More Like Jesus, Week 8–Consistency
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” –Hebrews 13:8 During two summers of my college years, I worked as a bank teller. It was an enjoyable experience that taught me a great deal about how to relate well to a diversity of people. I liked my co-workers and working inside, thus escaping…
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More Like Jesus, Week 7–Discerning God’s Will
“I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” –John 5:30b I got my answer. Some of you may recall one of my first blog entries entitled “The Nudge.” That January post told of a trip Lori and I took to New Mexico in September of 2023. As…
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More Like Jesus, Week 6–Knowing Oneself
“Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” –Luke 2:49 In the spring before the start of seminary, I traveled to Great Britain for nearly two weeks. It was my first trip overseas and I enjoyed it immensely. I saw the Tower of London and…
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More Like Jesus, Week 5–Changing Our Plans
“Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’’’ –Mark 5:30 A number of years ago, Lori and I were sitting in a speech therapist’s office with one of our children. We had been there for a series of sessions and most weeks, the same woman sat with her daughter in the…
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More Like Jesus, Week 4–Courage
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me, yet not my will but yours be done.”–Luke 22:40 In June, I had lunch with a dear friend who has come through a major health crisis. A dynamic leader, he began having unexplained symptoms two years ago when he was out for a walk with…
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More Like Jesus, Week 3–Judging Others
“First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.” –Luke 7:5 A friend named Ellen told me of the moment her father met his eventual son-in-law. She was 19 and Leon was 21. The year was 1972 and her beloved,…
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More Like Jesus, Week 2–Honesty
“So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” –Revelation 3:16 The words above come from the last of seven letters to a first-century church. Each letter was shared by John as part of Revelation, but unlike the other six, the one to Laodicea…
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More Like Jesus, Week 1–Compassion
“When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them” –Matthew 9:36a As many readers of this blog know, I’m a life-long fan of the Atlanta Braves. My family of origin lived in metro Atlanta when that baseball team moved there in 1966 and we went to the very first game. That loyalty–some might say…
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Fruitful Labors
“I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.” –John 15:16b For the first three years after college, I worked for the Bell System in North Carolina. As an undergraduate economics major, my goal had been to climb the corporate ladder and in those days AT&T was the largest company in the…
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The Gift of Sight
“And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored.”–Acts 9:18a This week marks one year since my retirement. The past twelve months have brought all kinds of adjustments and nearly all of them good ones. Yet the anniversary has also caused me to think back on the blur of activity…
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Living with the Questions
“As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?’–John 9:1-2 Ten years ago this month, I visited the community where three wonderful chapters of my life began. A few days after our wedding, Lori and I…
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Believe it or Not
“They said to her, ‘You are out of your mind’” –Acts 12:15a As part of a family vacation a few years back, we spent a week at a North Carolina beach. The coast south of Wilmington has long been a favorite and as part of this journey we made a day trip to Bald Head…
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Learning From Him
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”–Matthew 11:29 In officiating at funerals, I often open with these words of Jesus: “Come unto me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens.” That message has always…
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Weep or Laugh?
“A time to weep, and a time to laugh”–Ecclesiastes 3:4a Once as part of a summer trip, Lori and I pulled into a hotel lot in Milwaukee. We had been on the road since early that morning, having had a good visit with family in Michigan’s upper peninsula, but the drive had been miserable. There…
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Brave Words
“Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man!’”––2 Samuel 12:7a One summer during my seminary years I worked for a cooperative ministry group in Huttonsville, West Virginia. The purpose of that organization was to provide assistance to the poorest individuals of that county who couldn’t afford needed repairs on their home. Each week, a different…
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A VBS Threat
“But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sins by the sacrifice of himself.” –Hebrews 9:26b One day, I was waiting in line at the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles office. This was in the era before the improvements of recent years that get…
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Tending To Some Business
“…make them known to your children, and your children’s children.” –Deuteronomy 4:9 When I was a boy, my siblings and I would spend a month each summer visiting our grandparents in Greensboro, NC. It was always a special time as they lived eight hours away. During those extended stays they would ask about our friends…
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The Essential With
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God.” –Ephesians 2:19 Four decades ago, I traveled to Great Britain. It was my first trip overseas and I enjoyed it immensely. Along with touring several historic sites, I loved seeing…
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Angry and Faithful
“”Be angry, but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” –Ephesians 4:26 Shortly after seminary graduation, Lori and I moved to a small Kentucky town to prepare for the start of my first pastorate. Along with all of the other details involved with getting settled in was the need…
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An Encouraging Word
“And a voice came from heaven, ’You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.’”–Luke 3:22b The Scripture verse above comes from the day of Jesus’ baptism. Luke’s account of that moment omits some key details. He doesn’t tell us, for instance, that John the Baptist was the officiant or that it…
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The Place to Turn
“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.’”–John 6:68 The summer following my sophomore year in college, I worked for a trucking company in Charlotte. A classmate’s father oversaw the tire department and he needed some help for a few months. My job had no connection…
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No Time for Words
“While he was still speaking…from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved…listen to him!’” –Matthew 17:5 Among the joys of living close to our grandchildren is the ability to be present for the more ordinary occasions. When our children were growing up, we lived hundreds of miles away from both sets…
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The Cost of Freedom
“For freedom Christ has set us free.” –Galatians 5:1a “Freedom isn’t free. Freedom isn’t free. You’ve got to pay a price. You’ve got to sacrifice for your liberty.” One day in 6th Grade, my class sang those words as part of a school assembly. I don’t remember the theme of that program, but do recall…
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In Need of Translation
“And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.” –Acts 1:6 During my seminary years, I once had some free time between the end of a semester and the start of a summer job. So before leaving New Jersey for West Virginia…
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The Hardest Job
“Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.”–Proverbs 22:6 Last November, I officiated at the wedding of a niece, my youngest brother’s oldest daughter. That event marked the 14th time (including my mother-in-law and our two children), when I was privileged to hold that role for a member of my…
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Divine Messages
“‘Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?”–Numbers 12:2 The question above is from a conversation between Moses’ two siblings, Aaron and Miriam. Aaron had been by Moses’ side in ministry since his brother’s encounter with God at the burning bush. Miriam was the older sister who looked out…
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The Central Thing
“But Abram said, ‘O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless?” –Genesis 15:2a One day a few years ago, Lori and I were riding the PATH train from Manhattan to New Jersey. One stop before our exit a young woman seated on the opposite side of the car stood up and…
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More Important Than Getting Wet
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” –Psalm 119:105 I have a friend from my college days named Elliott who served for a time as a mission co-worker in Port Edward, South Africa. He was an economics major as was I and his work after college was in…
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The Blessing of Community
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.”–Matthew 18:20 One of the blessings of this blog for me has been its reach over the four months since launching. Counted among subscribers and others who see a post through social media are family members and individuals from each…
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The Power of Hymns
“When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”–Mark 14:26 One Sunday morning, early in my pastoral career, while leading worship I became aware of a commotion in the sanctuary. Looking to my left, I saw that an older woman in the congregation named Frances Wright had slumped over. I…
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A Fearless Faith
“So with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.” –Luke 3:18 One day during my North Carolina pastorate, our Clerk of Session invited me to accompany him to a golf tournament called the Masters. It’s held each April in Augusta, Georgia. I had ridden by the course many times as a…
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Signs and Wonders
“Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus …talking with each other about all these things that had happened.” –Luke 24:13-14 A year or so ago, I stopped by a gas station on my way to the church. While I had been to that station many times before,…
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Talking About Death
“Thanks be to God, who give us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.” –1 Corinthians 15:57 On October 30th of last year my phone signaled an incoming FaceTime call. The name on the screen identified it as coming from my daughter-in-law, but when I answered it turned out to be our 7-year-old granddaughter. She…
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Words of Healing
“Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.”–James 5:16 Late in my junior year of college, a group of friends and I were planning our strategy for dorm assignments. Seniors in those days had first dibs in the room lottery. It wasn’t unusual for juniors…
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The Second Time
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.”–Ephesians 4:32 In this blog, I am using the term “grace” in a broad sense. That is intentional and reflects my understanding of the variety of times when we receive a gift in those everyday encounters of life. Yet in…
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When We Can’t See It
“The LORD God helps me… therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.”–Isaiah 50:7 “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem.”–Luke 9:51 Ten years ago, a man named Don Wright died. He…
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The Place to Start
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son.” –John 3:16a During a clergy gathering years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Transitions of Columbia, South Carolina. That group helps move individuals from homelessness to permanent housing. Since its founding in 2011, Transitions has placed more than 3400 persons. It’s a …
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Perfect Love
“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.”–I John 3:1a Years ago, I was talking with a woman who owned a furniture store in the small town of my first pastorate. As a couple who lived in church-owned housing, but had…
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Just What We Need
“Jesus said to them, ‘Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.”—John 21:6 I met my wife at a hospital. I wasn’t a patient, but was taking a…
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Loving like Ellie
And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”–1 Corinthians 13:13 When I was in high school, our church had a pastor named Ellie who worked primarily with teenagers. Ellie was probably in his mid 50s when he began to serve at our congregation. Since I was 14…
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The Nudge
“Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel said “Speak, for your servant is listening.”–1 Samuel 3:10 Have you ever heard God speak to you? Long ago, a boy named Samuel, came to realize that the voice at bedtime was none other than the Almighty. Generations earlier, Moses stopped…
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Resisting the Role
“But Moses said, ‘O my Lord, please send someone else.’–Exodus 4:13 “But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.”–Acts 9:13 Several years ago, I was eating lunch by myself in a fast-food restaurant when I overheard a conversation between two…
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Doing the Vermont Thing
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”–Hebrews 13:2 Last summer, Lori and I took our adult children, their spouses, and our four grandchildren on a vacation to Vermont. We always enjoy visiting new places and this time found a rental near Woodstock. On…
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The Parts We Play
“Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side.”–Exodus 17:12b Ask any minister how she or he came to that vocational path and you will hear of persons who helped them recognize a call from God. One who did that with me was Latane Smith, a member…
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Paying Attention to the Clues
“Then the LORD answered me and said: ‘Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it.’”-Habakkuk 2:2 A broken hip set me on the road to retirement. I had just completed a 3-mile run. After getting ready for work I was heading into the garage when I missed a step…
