Jesus rode the colt into Jerusalem and everyone who heard about his coming laid palm branches down and shouted ‘Hosanna in the highest!”
What did they mean when they were shouting those words? When I was growing up I thought Hosanna was a praise word – I understood they were praising Jesus. When I became a student of the Word as an adult I learned…..
Some people think that Lenten traditions of discipline and the Christian life of repentance is all drudgery. Some think it’s about self-debasing or self-loathing and that we walk around with heavy sacks laden with remorse and sin on our backs. But that isn’t what lent and repentance is about. No, the season of Lent and the action of repentance is about lightening our loads. The season is more…..
As we move closer and closer to Easter we may have one of two several responses in regards to our fasting and repentance. We could be thinking, ‘Oh God, I can’t wait until this is over and I can . . . ” eat meat on Wednesdays and Fridays again, or chocolate, watch my favorite show or whatever thing or activity it is that we set aside as an act…..
Yesterday in my post I referenced Romans 6 and mentioned the subtitle of part of the Chapter – “Slaves to Righteousness” – later in the day I read an article saying that Christians can turn people off talking about righteousness. I’ve heard the same kind of thing said about Christians in pursuit of justice. I think the truth is better said that some Christians are called to speak,…..
In Paul’s 2nd Letter to Timothy he writes that all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for training in righteousness (3:16). I found myself reflecting on this verse last night and early this morning. It seems to me that the Lenten season of Repentance is a tradition that is useful for training for righteousness. Some of things we choose to change about our behaviors and activities in our Lenten Season may…..
What do you think about when you hear the words: “Quality of Life”
Do you think about how much fun there is to be had and how much wealth there is to accumulate?
Do you think about health care issues?
Do you think about what kind of clothes a person wears?
What kind of car they drive?
…..
I’m trying to get the table cleared off and the extensions put away so I’ve been cleaning up piles of papers. It’s tedious going through the stacks, but I’m glad I did. I found a poem/prayer that I wrote back in 2009. Not sure how it got to the table today as these stacks have not been on the table that long!!!! Anyway – it would have been good to include in the book “Praying Our Way Through Stress: Drawing Wisdom…..
I was giving a presentation from my book to a group of women and I asked them if they had ever been called a temptress. Eyes opened wide and I said – not a temptress in a sensual or sexual sense – most women have been called that – I’m talking about being called a temptress because you presented temptations to other people the way the devil presented them to Jesus when they were in the wilderness together.
Those encounters…..
Years ago when I presented a paper that I had written at a Religious Studies Conference I asked a closing question – “Do we even know how to worship the Lord?
It seems people think of worship as attending a church service of some kind – “I’m going to a worship service.” But worshipping is more than going to a service. To me, worship is an act of service and goes beyond the formal church service regardless of how they are organized in different denominations. Many…..