What became of the centurion who, at the crucifixion of Christ said, “Surely this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39)? Such is the question at the heart of A.E. Smith’s Journey of the Pearl.
Journey of the Pearl
Forgiveness as Strength
There is a reality that we rarely talk about: true power comes with forgiveness. It is those who are truly strong who can forgive. It is those who are willing to say their freedom means more than the cage of resentment (anger, pain, hurt) who are able to love others in a fuller way. Is... Continue Reading →
Authentic Christianity
I was recently given the chance to read Peter E. Watts Authentic Christianity where he deals with why becoming people more focused on others than ourselves is key to becoming the kind of people God made us to be.
The Beauty of Nuance
When we get out from behind our fear, which is craftily veiled in paper-thin tribes and sound bites, we realize that even our own opinions have nuance to them. It’s time to stop seeing any view contrary to ours as “wrong” and be willing to acknowledge the shades of gray we hold. If we cannot, our society, relationships, and humanity will continue to decline.
Abuse is Not God
Abuse is abuse and God hates all of it. There is nothing to justify any form of it. There is nothing to justify men and women who are in positions of authority doing things they know to be wrong or illegal.
A Lament for Black Lives
O God of praise, keep not silent. For the mouths of the wicked and deceitful are opened against Your creation. They have spoken lies about those You created in Your image and come against them with vengeful tongues. They have surrounded them with words of hatred and brought violence against them without cause. In return for cries for equality, they choked out their breath. They have repaid justice for evil and replaced Your love with hatred
A Tale of Two Churches
In the coming days and weeks as we move closer and closer to Election Day there will become a palpable tension over what it means to be a Christian in this country. Even now, as pastors dare to speak on the simple reality that God cares about all people equally, some are facing backlash and... Continue Reading →
The Faithful Spy
On April 9, 1945 Dietrich Bonhoeffer was hanged for his part in resisting the Nazi regime. Dietrich, along with his brother and brother-in-laws, were all executed for their efforts to stand against the unspeakable injustices happening around them. While participating in assassination attempts might seem a bit bold, Bonhoeffer's (and other's) actions force us to... Continue Reading →
A Hundred Daily Decisions
A couple weeks late, but grace abounds in this season!We have come to the end of our Acts journey. It is incredible to look back and see all we have covered and learned about the early church and those who helped lay the foundation. We end Acts without any real resolution on Paul’s life. We... Continue Reading →
Your Unique Position
As we move towards the end of Romans we see a shift in tone. Until now we have been with Paul as he travels around, telling people about Jesus, and starting or building up churches. If this was a movie, we would cue dramatic music. Something ominous is coming. We join Paul in a room... Continue Reading →
