love
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everywhere or nowhere
“If You are not everywhere, You are nowhere.” It is a sense both of deeper loss and even deeper homecoming—no matter what we leave or lose or walk away from, no matter how far we go, the belonging is always deeper, always further, always ahead of us. I recently told a friend, “I’m not a Continue reading
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natural & miraculous (part 2)
On many occasions God has already given us what we need in how he’s made us and who he’s brought into our lives. I do believe there are moments when the out-of-the-ordinary (the supernatural) breaks through, something inexplicable beyond our ability or effort. But much of the time we’re living very ordinary, natural lives (which Continue reading
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natural & miraculous (part 1)
When faced with life decisions or everyday choices there are many simple spiritual answers: “Just pray about it. Just wait on God. Just have faith. Just trust God.” As if we have no responsibility or hard work of our own, or freedom to choose our own path. The way I see it now is that Continue reading
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when God descends
Some summer weekend mornings I like to write a few pages with coffee in my room then move to the deck that faces the sunlight with a book of poetry hearing the birds in the background (this morning mostly sparrows and juncos dancing around in the dirt) then set down the book to watch the Continue reading
Christianity, church, deconstruction, divine, Faith, God, Grace, hope, Jesus, listening, love, reflections, religion, spirituality, Trust, waiting -
survival and sustenance
There’s this ethereal place I’ve always wanted to reach but never can. Never will. A place I want to reach but cannot find. Where everything and everyone will be okay. Whole. All things and persons as they should be. All things and persons made new. For as long as I can remember I’ve longed for Continue reading
brokenness, Christianity, church, Death, deconstruction, desire, Faith, God, hope, Jesus, lack, Life, longing, love, prayer, reflections, spirituality, survival, Trust, waiting -
the lack
Though we search we’re never whole. There is always something missing. And somehow, someway, God is near in this. Christians may call it “the fall,” a product of original sin, some catastrophe unintended but fixable. If it’s this, it’s also much more than this. They say God will make it all okay, now or then, Continue reading
brokenness, Christianity, deconstruction, desire, eternity, Faith, God, Grace, Jesus, lack, love, reflections, religion, spirituality, Trust -
other voices
Why are we so often afraid of other voices? Do they shake our own fallible security in certain beliefs? Do they threaten an errant assurance of our own subjective truth and relative experience? Why are we so afraid of different views and opinions and interpretations? Why do we feel the need to fight tooth and Continue reading
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person over power
I see the Ravi Zachariases and Mark Driscolls and John MacArthurs of the world and know if these men were the summation of what I believed about the church, Christians, God, I would run as far as I can and never look back, except to glare. But then I avert my gaze and there’s another Continue reading
Christianity, church, compassion, Faith, freedom, God, hope, humility, injustice, Jesus, justice, leadership, love, oppression, power, reflections, religion, spirituality -
34
The sky is blue on my birthday morning. White still clings to trees and layers the earth. The sun will melt it off. What a beautiful day to be alive. It’s not about my birthday. It’s about being alive today. Recently I heard this phrase and I can’t stop thinking about it. “I don’t want Continue reading
Christianity, Faith, fulfillment, God, gratitude, hope, Jesus, joy, Life, love, reflections, rest, Trust -
grace (3)
One evening this winter I sat in the hot tub and watched the darkening evergreens and the winter evening’s cotton candy sky above the dimming landscape. I looked up at the clouds and picked out their morphing shapes. I kept watching that sky of subtle reds and pinks and purples, quiet oranges and yellows, above Continue reading
bible, Christianity, church, Faith, God, Grace, Holy Spirit, hope, Jesus, love, mercy, prayer, reflections, religion, spirituality, Trust, worship
a kingdom built of seeds 