There is a family in Durham NC who shows hospitality to trusted friends (Rom. 12:13; 1 Pet. 4:9) AND strangers as well (Heb. 13:2)! One of these strangers decided to abuse the privilege of being so liberally and lovingly welcomed by breaking into this family’s home and ransacking their property. Some trusted friends said, “Well, […]
Imagine you’re an adviser to the king of Iran. You glean your insights, and get your news, from the stars. One day an unusual star broadcasts the arrival of a Jewish king (the King of kings!). So you take a leave of absence from serving the king of Iran, and you pack up your treasures […]
When I was a young lad my dad took me to a Kansas City Royals baseball game. Now the question is, “Was this an enjoyable experience?” Well, let’s think about this for a moment. It would be extraordinarily difficult for a child to enjoy a major league ballgame if he was expected to navigate the […]
Sometimes joy seems impertinent. Once upon a time there was a king who wished to transport something infinitely powerful, and exceedingly lethal to mortals. The king failed to adhere to, and abide by, the particular protocol necessary to ensure the safety of the community while moving the mortally perilous object. The negligence of the king […]
Last night the elders of ECPC examined two men for offices of ordained leadership in the church. I woke with the following question writ bold in my imagination, “What must we have from our leaders?” In 1779 a man thoroughly acquainted with his personal, specific, and substantive evils and wretchedness wrote the following poem – […]
We often hear song lyrics, but fail to heed the story being told. I remember working as a prep cook in the kitchen at Kappa Kappa Gamma in Manhattan KS, and my boss Liz loved to listen to Ben Harper, Sheryl Crow, and Melissa Etheridge while we worked. One time we were listening to the […]
Disclaimer: I have personally seen zero episodes of Dan Fogelman’s American television drama “This Is Us.” But a rabbi friend of mine named Ray is a big fan of the show, and he talks about it all the time. He recently told me about an episode where a father is perpetually telling his daughter how […]
You know those moments when you’re out to lunch with a friend at a Vietnamese restaurant and you get to talking about your compulsive tendencies of being defensive and combative, and then your friend reminds you of how an older, wiser, mutual friend is always harping on the vital importance of never defending yourself? Well […]
Clothes for Christmas. It happens every year. I’m not opposed to receiving clothes for Christmas (though I will candidly confess that I generally prefer Nerf products), however clothing often arouses a vain pestering pressure to become preoccupied with self-image. Cosmetic commodities and considerations can quickly devolve into fretful seasons of superficiality and self-absorption. For instance, […]
Fear of failure. That’s why men are so angry all the time. Men are constantly striving to protect themselves from being perceived as a failure. Why is dad so anal and OCD about stuff? Why is Mr. so and so always grumpy and grouchy? Why is he so critical and negative? Why is that guy jaded, […]