“But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.” (Genesis 33:4)Well this was unexpected. Two brothers who, from the womb, had wrestled with one another – for parental love – for position – for favor – for blessing. For decades, their relationship was fraught with manipulation, physical and emotional cut off, lies, fear, resentment and guilt. And now God has come – in disguise – to wrestle with one of them. Jacob…
“Senioritis” happens not only to high school 12th graders. It happened to me in my senior seminary year. I was thirty years old. A visiting professor taught a class in which I wasn’t a good student. I sat in the back of the room with my buddy Frank. We were reading the Bible - but only to search for the funniest Bible passages we could find (taken completely out of context, of course). We made a “top ten” list which we later read…
https://tvprays.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/actively-waiting.mp4I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lordin the land of the living.Wait for the Lord;be strong, and let your heart take courage;wait for the Lord!Psalm 27:13-14Many of our devotions in recent days have pointed us to God’s goodness “in the land of the living” - in nature, in people, in ourselves. Amen. Amen. Amen.I recently snapped photos of Payette Lake (see above) as I waited for the fog to lift.We know ‘thick fog’ days - when it’s hard to…
Whenever the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the eternal covenant between God and all living creatures (Genesis 9:16).Donning a glistening ruby red evening gown, singer/songwriter Pink paid tribute to the 75th anniversary of the “Wizard of Oz” movie by singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow'' at the 2014 Oscars.The lyrics include the question, “If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why, oh, why, can’t I?” Kermit the Frog has his own questions about rainbows: “Why are there…
When in trouble, call out to me; when I save you, sing my praise” (Ps. 50:15) Anne Lamott calls, “Help,” the first great prayer. She identifies Help, Thanks and Wow as the simple prayers people need to endure the challenging parts of life. These are the prayers, she suggests, that lead us through trouble toward healing and transformation. I try… to ask God for help in my life, in our nation, in the world; to thank God for what is good; to feel…
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 CHANGE. This is my 2020 “Star Word.” I received it in early February. Some churches (ELCA and other denominations) around the world have these available each year on the Sunday closest to the Feast of Epiphany - the celebration of Christ’s revelation to the world. The star shape emulates the star…
Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent. O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come. Psalm 71:9,17-18We visited her on the farm year after year. She arose at 5 am, braided and rolled up her long hair,…
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