Archive for the 'The Struggle' Category

Like Throwing a Few Coins

Tuesday, March 4th, 2008

Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon [...]

Giving and Receiving

Friday, December 14th, 2007

Currently, I am seeing that God freely gives, and that none of what he gives is in the least contingent upon who we are or what we do. I am also seeing that what God most earnestly desires to give is his very own life. However, I also see that we cannot receive what he [...]

Communion - Not Accomplishment

Thursday, October 4th, 2007

I feel driven to do things to validate my existence, as if my accomplishments will establish my identity and self worth. As a result I find myself subject to the many voices in our culture that compete for space in my head and a place in my heart. I feel this drive so deeply at [...]

Beyond the Norm (and into Easter)

Monday, April 9th, 2007

This morning while I was taking a shower contemplating my lack of in-touchness with Easter (a lack that resulted from my further lack of participation in the season of Lent) I was struck by a grace that allowed me to see beyond the norm. Generally mornings are not a good time for me as I [...]

Too Much of a Good Thing?

Wednesday, January 10th, 2007

A couple of days after Thanksgiving I sat down to write a post. I actually got as far as getting a couple of words on the editor before I gave up. Why? Because I didn’t want to merely write the kind of post that was expected for the season; and more importantly, I was not [...]

Just Answer the Phone!

Tuesday, November 14th, 2006

This past Sunday my pastor gave a sermon on servanthood through which I was reminded of the architect, Le Corbusier’s famous dictum “God is in the details”. Illustrating the idea that small acts matter, the pastor gave a pointed example (pointed enough to stab at my heart) about being willing to answer the phone, instead [...]

I Saw A Crime

Tuesday, October 31st, 2006

I witnessed a crime the other day. I was walking along the sidewalk, toward the campus at which I work, when I heard a man yelling from a house across the street. Immediately I saw a young, skinny, black fellow running from a backyard followed by an older, white fellow who was quickly falling behind. [...]

Haunted by A Band of Brothers

Thursday, February 9th, 2006

I recently finished “A Band of Brothers”, a dramatic mini-series about the history of Easy Company, a company within the newly created airborne division of the Army that fought in World War II. While watching it I was riveted, and though I have finished it I continue to be haunted. Perhaps a part of my [...]

Can’t Miss the Set Up

Monday, January 30th, 2006

“Why can’t you drive to church like you’re going to the movies!!?” stated my beloved, but mildly irritated wife as I crawled down the road at four miles an hour below the speed limit. “What do you mean?!?” I responded somewhat defensively, to which she replied, “When you go to the movies you pay attention [...]

A Human Hand Wounded

Sunday, December 25th, 2005

Today Christians celebrate the incarnation: God becoming one of us. I have to confess that I am desensitized to this reality. To remedy this I thought about reviewing the history of Metaphysics (ultimate meaning), Epistemology (inquiry into human understanding), and Ethics (nature of morality), just to help me get a conceptual grasp of the radical [...]