ireland pilgrimage

Some ventured out into unknown territory

Leaving the comfort and safety of their routine places and familiar people

They trusted the Lord and set sail on the winds of his breath into a new and beautiful land

There they were swept up in the wonder and the grandeur of God's presence and God's people

They tasted his goodness again and again in who they met and the conversations they had

And in the end they became changed people

Knowing themselves and their God better at the end of the journey than they did at the beginning

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.

For he filled their mouths with laughter and their souls with songs of joy.

your will, not my own

the ebb and flow of life

has a certain gravitational pull 

not to mention the pull of the ego

it’s so easy to get swept up in

an abundance of activity 

with little regard or attention to

what is mine to do and what is not

the urgent becomes central 

the important peripheral

no time for stopping

no space for asking

no stillness for listening 

just a bunch of doing

which may or may not be 

what is supposed to be done 

how will i ever know 

if i don’t stop and ask 

how will i ever know

if i don’t listen

in the presence of my enemies

you prepare a table

before me in the

presence of my enemies

because it makes me

truly depend on you

if you took away

my enemies

it would take away

my dependence

and tempt me 

to operate out of

my own resources

two options for advent 2025

 Advent begins on November 30th this year.  If you're looking for a companion for yourself, your small group, your Sunday School class, your church, your staff, or your friends, here are two options.

                                                                       Order My Steps  

                                                                       Watch and Wait

why are you so afraid

“Why are you so afraid?” (Mark 4:40) What a great question, not only for the disciples but for each of us.  Fear has such a profound impact on all of our lives, whether we realize it or not.  Jesus knew that, and he just wanted us to know it too. 

Fear is at the root of so many of our issues, problems, and dysfunctions.  And it’s even at the root of some things that the culture around us would call good things.  But are they?  Really?  Especially if their origin is fear.

For example, fear is obviously behind our anxiety, insecurity, and doubt, but it is also at the root of our drivenness, competitiveness, and workaholism.  Fear is surely the main source of our judgmentalness and criticalness, but it is also at the core of our inability, or our unwillingness, to stop and rest.

“There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out all fear,” says the apostle John.  Thus, fear is actually the enemy of love.  And if we are called to love, which we obviously are, fear will keep us from being able to do that.

So, I guess we all must answer the question, “Why are you so afraid?” with as much honesty and transparency and vulnerability and reflection and courage as we possibly can.  Because it is only when we recognize fear as the source of our behavior that we can ever have any real hope of transforming that fear into love.     

Lord Jesus, help us not to live in the house of fear but to live in the house of love.  For only then can we love like you love.

weak is strong

Weak is strong in the kingdom of God.  Never in my life have I felt as weak, as flawed, as fragile, and as vulnerable as I do these days, and yet God continues to work in power.  Never has the phrase “treasure in jars of clay” been a more accurate description of who I am and how I’m operating, and yet God continues to show up in amazing ways.  Maybe because I am finally getting out of the way.  

Never has “For when I am weak, then I am strong" been more evident in my life and my ministry.  My weakness, my anxiety, and my dysfunctions are the very channels through which God is doing some of his deepest and best work.  I’ve tried to overcome them all, to no avail, and now I think I’m actually supposed to lean into them and embrace them.  That seems to be what Paul is saying.  I’m not supposed to overcome them because his power is made perfect in my weakness.  Weak is strong in the kingdom of God.  His power is best revealed in my powerlessness.  It’s all about him, not about me.  When will I ever learn?

the kingdom

 the kingdom of God

is like a mustard seed

from the smallest 

of beginnings

it grows within 

until it is able 

to offer life 

and hope

to all in need

of its shelter