I’m big on names.  In biblical culture, name often represented character. Think of how many times you speak a child’s name over them. How could that not influence a child? With that in mind, I chose the names of our children carefully:  Benjamin (son of the right hand) Russell (his father’s name)  Richard (ruler, leader,…

It’s Advent time. Christmas trees primp and preen as they don their seasonal finery. Mistletoe dangles from the ceiling. Candles and poinsettias elbow one another for the most prominent display spot. Our homes glitter, glow, and gleam as we celebrate the Light of the world.  I love to spend time reflecting over the Christmas accounts…

Typically, thanksgiving comes after. After the answer. After the reconciliation. After the storm has ceased. After.  If we remember. Yet, in the New Testament, Paul linked prayer with thanksgiving. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.” Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every…

Paul knew how to start a letter: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.” Philippians 1:3 NIV “We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2 “I always thank my God as I…

Our church fields an extensive staff. Pastors exist for every ministry imaginable. However, Scripture records one office I have yet to see: Director of Thanksgiving. Check out the verses below. “Mattaniah son of Mika, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the director who led in thanksgiving and prayer;” Nehemiah 11:17 “The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel,…

Sandwiched between Halloween and Christmas, Thanksgiving gets the squeeze. Even Black Friday sales bleed over into Thursday. Now I’m all about Christmas as long as Jesus remains its focus, but we do harm to neglect Thanksgiving.  “Thanks” and “thanksgiving” pop up over one hundred times in Scripture. Yet surprisingly Hebrew has no specific word for…

“I want all your moments to be punctuated with thanksgiving.” Sarah Young, Jesus Calling, April 16 Punctuation marks. Like chalky erasers, you probably haven’t thought about them since grade school. Punctuation directs the reader. Road signs without the flash of color. Quotation marks designate dialogue. Periods command a full stop while commas mark a simple pause.…

The crowd at the tomb. Not a crowd really, but a small gathering. A bevy of ladies. A group of gals. A mass of Marys. Between the Gospel writers, we compile this list:  Mary Magdalene Joanna the wife of Cuza who managed Herod’s household  Mary the mother of James and Joses  Salome the wife of…

           The whisper brushed through the crowd on a breeze. “He’s coming.” Palm branches rustled as the throng of people lined the streets from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem. Heads craned to see Lazarus, the disciples, and finally, the prophet from Nazareth. Fathers hoisted children onto their shoulders as their wives stood on tiptoe. Children…

Merry Christmas! Instead of the normal blog post, I wrote a Christmas story for your reading pleasure. Biblical scholars believe that, at the time of Jesus’ birth, caves or the lower level of a house often served as stables. I wrote this story from the innkeeper’s perspective of Luke 2. I hope you enjoy it!…