weekly reflections
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Week 29: what kind of follower
The story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10 is one of my favorite stories in the Bible; it’s beautiful. This was a man no one liked. He was despised by everyone. Like all tax collectors, he was a traitor to his own people (the Jews), collecting taxes for the occupiers (the Romans), skimming off the top Continue reading
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Week 27 / 28: courage
(Yes, I missed a week.) I couldn’t fall asleep. So I picked up a book that I’m working on–The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand–which I like very much. The protagonist is Howard Roark, a fearless architect, and the archetype of a man who is courageous in his art, without concern for the opinion of others or Continue reading
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Week 26: sometimes it’s time to stop
The next conference. The next altar call. The next church or prayer service. The next revival meeting. The next house of prayer set. The next sermon. The next book. The next revelation. The next breakthrough. The next experience. The next prophecy. The next word from God. I know someone will be able to relate. I Continue reading
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Week 25: thirst (part 2)
Not long ago, I read a short biography of Mother Teresa in 7 Men and 7 Women (by Eric Metaxas). There’s a part that resonated with me. By 1950 [Mother Teresa] had devised a constitution for the Missionaries of Charity–the name God had given her when she first heard her “call within a call.” In Continue reading
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Week 24: thirst
Jesus said, “I thirst.” I love the way the trees sway in worship. The slight breeze setting their thin trunks in motion, branches joining the chorus. If i wasn’t sitting out here on the deck tonight, I wouldn’t notice. I wouldn’t see it. I have to pay attention. What is existence without seeing? Why are Continue reading
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Week 23: the Great Nothing
God creates a wound only he can heal. It’s as if something (or someone) is attempting to disrupt the routine of my spirituality. To finally cast away all the words, thoughts, clichés, theology, knowledge, religion, Christianity–even “God”–in order to bring me to the Great Nothing (where God finds me). I have taken everything for granted. Continue reading
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Week 22: George Floyd
There are really no words to describe how I felt watching a clip of that horrific video. A stinging mixture of anger, sorrow, grief, helplessness. As a white, middle class male, I am privileged. Living in one of the whitest states in the country, I am isolated from much of the greater national racial tension. Continue reading
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Week 21: family
Week 21: family I took the four day weekend over Memorial Day to visit my family in PA. Hours of mask wearing in quiet airports and on half empty planes — all for my family. The first moments of reunion are always the most special (especially after an eight month gap); the first words most Continue reading
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Week 20: “now and not yet”
I have always been aware of the “now and not yet” of following Jesus. I am reminded that it’s okay to still feel unsettled, somewhat incomplete, and a little discontent; because things are not (yet) as they should be. Everyone knows this. Some recognize it more than others. It is something of a prophetic understanding—those Continue reading
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Week 19: when “behind” is “ahead”
I grew up hearing some of the following phrases: make sure you don’t “backslide”; don’t be “deceived”; make sure not to “fall away”; be careful not to “lose your faith.” Do I believe these can actually happen to someone? In a sense, I actually do. Do I think they’re helpful or should be a focal Continue reading
a kingdom built of seeds 