Israel’s first Warrior-Judge, quietly on a path to heroic destiny. The story of Othniel is gleaming gem almost buried in the chaotic rubble of the book of Judges, quietly waiting for us to notice (Judges 3:7-11). During the wilderness wanderings, a set of hopeful parents named their son Othniel: Lion of God or Strength of […]
When “All I Can Do Is Pray,” Prayer Is More Than Enough!
How often when tragedy strikes, do we say a quick prayer and then flail about, grasping for something we can do to make things better? To human eyes, the physical realm often eclipses the spiritual—even to believers who affirm that God is the ultimate, everlasting, unchanging reality. Prayer too often seems our last resort. The writer of […]
Dreams and Visions and Waiting for Gold
Balaam’s Curse begins with a celebration on the border of the Promised Land. If ever a people chased the end of a rainbow and found gold, it was this people, this time, this place. They were a people on a quixotic venture. They themselves were the fulfillment of an impossible dream born when God told one childless man […]
Warriors needed. Armed and ready
“Some people call us victims. Some call us survivors. I like the term warriors.” Matt Sandusky stated yesterday at the “Not A Target” symposium for the prevention of child sexual abuse in Sonora, California. Victim. Yes, sadly, for nine years. Survivor, yes, in spite of trying to escape his personal hell through risky behaviors and eventually an […]
Stories Endure Forever
Have you ever pictured God the Father as a storyteller? Of course, we know that Jesus liked stories. The gospels are packed with parables. But God? Hmmm. Think about God’s Book. Sixty six books really. Primarily story, right? God chose to weave the threads of individual lives over and under the warp threads of events […]
Passover, Remember and be Blessed
Passover 2016 begins on April 22. A remembering break is just as necessary for national and spiritual health as a break from work is for mental and physical health. Of the seven holidays included in the Israelite covenant law, three were not optional. They marked events in Israelite salvation history that God did not want his people to forget. […]
Easter Revelation
Easter in Revelation? Why not? It was written by John, the beloved disciple, who was among the first to see the empty tomb. Many years after the resurrection, while John was an old man in chains for his faith, Jesus visited him as the glorified, risen Lord. The story is told in Revelation chapter one. John was […]
Color Me Green
This month we celebrate St Patrick’s Day with the wearing of green. I like that. Not only do I have Irish blood running in my veins, but I have always loved the color green: Forest green evoking memories of summer camp and high country hiking. Christmas green evoking memories of family gathering and giving […]
Carson vs. Goliath, Could Have Been a Good Fight
I’m weary of snarling contenders, jostling for attention and hurling epithets as the gentle one quietly slips off the stage. I had hoped Ben Carson might add a final political chapter to Malcolm Gladwell’s DAVID AND GOLIATH, Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants. If you haven’t read it, the shepherd boy, the future […]
Conflict
Yesterday I mused on love. Today I turn to conflict. That is after all what makes a story. Genesis informs us that the descendants of Terah, father of Abraham, became six nations: the Israelites, Moabites, Ammonites, Ishmaelites, Edomites, and Midianites—and they have never gotten along well from ancient times to to present. The plot of […]