My circle of experience, of friends, of imagination is little. I am one little person living on a little Island with little wealth or power. A regular person, little known or marked outside my household. Yet even I am not content with a LITTLE Christmas.
Read MoreIn Jesus’s teachings, there are many descriptions of the Kingdom of God. It is like a magnificent pearl or a treasure found in the field. It is like leaving 99 sheep in the fold, then leaving to go find the 1 lost sheep. It is like a master forgiving the enormous debts of his slave. It is where Jesus goes to prepare a place for us. It is the place of light where God’s will reigns purely and without shadow or tears.
Read MoreWe are worshipping outside surrounded by God’s beautiful creations including birds and an awesome number of flying and crawling bugs! Some of you have dogs and cats waiting for you at home. With our Atlanta kids here with us, I have 2 cats and 4 dogs waiting at home.
Read MoreTheology matters because our theology describes how we understand God, how we expect God to show up in our lives, how we live as Christians in this time and place, and how we read Scripture. Our theology can place limits on the love and grace that we receive from God IF we do not believe that God’s love and mercy is endless and all encompassing.
Read MoreProphecies of doom and destruction against those who do not worship God and follow God’s laws are frequent and harsh. St. Paul writes in the Epistles that we should not let even the appearance of evil show up in our actions. St. Paul also cautions us against any activity that might cause another person to turn away from Jesus.
Read MoreA few weeks ago, Kent and I ran away from home. We drove to the rural hinterlands of North Carolina pursuing adventure and a new setting. It was interesting to be out in farmland – acres of corn, beautifully green, ears beginning to mature. It was easy to forget that we were running from isolation and fear – until we got out of the car and had to put on a face mask.
Read MoreJesus tells the parable about the farmer finding four types of soil: the hard-packed dirt of the walking path, the rocky shallow soil, the soil overgrown with weeds and sandspurs, and the good rich soil ready for seeds. No matter where we have lived, it is not hard to imagine any one of those soil types. Let us think about these as descriptions of our hearts and minds.
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