Today is Palm Sunday. The first Palm Sunday in my life that I am not in a worship service of some kind. And it isn’t because I am working at the park or too far from a worship service to attend. It is because church is closed due to coronavirus. There are a lot of …
From Worship Experiences
Standing Between the Living and the Dead
In Numbers 16, the Israelites are grumbling against Moses and Aaron – again. The chapter starts with outright disobedience among some of the priests. “Who do Moses and Aaron think they are, to set themselves above us?” they say. God opens up the earth which swallows these disobedient men and their families. But the next …
Climbing a Mountain One Step at a Time
Climbing a mountain is something I have done frequently in my life. Now, I don’t climb well and I certainly don’t climb fast, but the view from the top of a mountain is a thing of awesome wonder. Most of the mountains I manage to climb are little ones, 2,000 to 3,000 feet gain in …
Two Sizes Too Small: Making Room in our Hearts
I was thinking about the Grinch recently. You know, the one whose heart was two sizes too small. I know it isn’t Christmas, but I met a person who had a heart that seemed too small. He was doling out love with a thimble and seemed afraid to let anyone get too close to him. …
Lenten Discipline: Going Strong
We are only about a month from Easter, which seems amazing to me. So it seems like a good time to ask: Is your Lenten Discipline going strong? You may think, “what Lenten Discipline?” Did you give up something for Lent? Did you add a spiritual discipline? If we want to be good disciples of …
Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” This phrase is common at funeral services as well at Ash Wednesday services. This last week, on Ash Wednesday, my siblings and parents heard it at both. My sister-in-law’s mother died and her funeral was on Ash Wednesday. My parents and sister attended the funeral to support my brother’s …
Waiting for Our Ship To Come In
This last week our friend, Kris Moye, came to St. Simons for a visit. You will be hearing more about her visit soon, but I wanted to write today about one of the things we spent a lot of time doing while she was here. Waiting for our ship to come in. Now, we weren’t …
Hearts Unfold Like Flowers Before Him
One of my favorite hymns (I have so many) is “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Him.” This week, as I have been walking through the many azalea gardens on St. Simons, I keep singing the second line, “Hearts unfold like flowers before thee, opening to the sun above.” [I have about five versions of the hymn …
If We Perish, Does God Care?
I recently read Mark 4 about Jesus calming the storm. Once again I was grabbed by the words of the disciples, “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?” For me that one sentence has always been central to the story. Other people focus on Jesus calming the storm, and it is an awesome miracle …
Everyone Has a Crew. Who is in Your Crew?
The new 2020 Cadillac XT6 commercial begins with the line “Everyone has a crew. A stone cold, never-blink, walk in slow-motion crew.” I love to watch this commercial, not because I want to buy the Cadillac XT6, but because it shows people looking like rock stars walking in slow motion with their crew. The first …