Reflection: Imitators of Christ

"The first time I read the apostle Paul’s command to the Corinthians to imitate him, I remember thinking, Wait a minute! Why is he telling them to imitate him instead of imitating Jesus? I’ve always respected this guy, but he really did have some gall."

Reflection: Sandle Strap

Today’s Americans aren’t familiar with a practice that people have understood for thousands of years - the habit of doffing a cap, bowing, kneeling, or simply lowering the eyes before a person with more power, money, or social status. We don’t acknowledge our “betters.”
As much as Christians appreciate that Jesus died for our sins, I’m afraid we often forget that he is something other than we are. He isn’t only our Savior. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. If that’s true, it behooves us to remember it and behave accordingly.

Reflection: A Place for the Called Out

I have an unusual habit. I write letters. I mean the old-fashioned, handwritten (in cursive), on pretty stationery, with a postage stamp, sent through the U.S. mail kind of letters. One reason I do this is that I enjoy receiving letters. There is a look and feel to a personal letter that almost casts its own light from beneath the piles of impersonal, meaningless, or unpleasant stacks of paper that invade our homes through our mailboxes.

Reflection: Do Even More

What I heard Sunday morning was, “Put on your big girl armor, rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in everything, because he who calls you is faithful.”

Reflection: Anxiety Divides Our Minds

"It’s plain that Jesus wants us to understand how much we matter to God. But another aspect to his command is just as important. Our anxiety doesn’t change anything except our state of mind. In Luke 12:25, Jesus says, 'And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?'
"Jesus goes on to say, “If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?” As small a thing as what? Adding an hour to my life is a small thing? To him, it is! To me, this is the heart of the command. Jesus isn’t suggesting that we would be better off to stop worrying. He is not only telling us how absolutely futile worrying is, he is also telling us how utterly and completely he is in control." 

Reflection: Your Very Life

Forgetting our own nature, it’s easy to find ourselves baffled by the behavior of the Israelites. How did the same people who saw the mighty works of God during the time of the exodus so quickly forget their experience, come to doubt God’s power, and reject the way of obedience?

Reflection: Perfected by Suffering

Paul’s autobiography would have made for exciting reading, and he could easily have satisfied the current demand that every book be part of a series. He had three separate shipwreck stories. Those usually make for good reading. Then there were imprisonments, beatings, and a stoning incident. How does one survive and recover from 39 lashes? Paul did it five times!

Reflection: To the Praise of His Glory

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10 ESV).
What’s all this for? In Christ we are being built together into a dwelling place for God (Eph. 2:22 ESV). Apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers are given to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ (Eph. 4:12 ESV). When each part of the body is working to full capacity, it grows so that it builds itself up in love (Eph. 4:16 ESV). Our speech should be only what is good for building up (Eph. 4:29 ESV). There is a lot of work going on here.

Reflection: He Will Reach Out His Hand

Throughout my life, Jesus has been revealing himself to me with as much patience as he exercised with the disciples. I have an idea that the tone of his, “Why did you doubt?” changes as I am supposed to mature. I have to cultivate my mustard-seed-sized faith, knowing how to call out, to reach out, to my only possible help. Jesus will reach out his hand and take hold of me. Truly, he is the Son of God.

Reflection: The Light of the Glory of Christ

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6 ESV).
I am writing this during the week of the winter solstice. At this time of year, I can sympathize with the pagans who celebrated the shortest day of the year as the beginning of more hours of sunlight. There have been winters when I referred to a weather app to track every minute of light gained each day until spring.
The darkness has not, will not, can not overcome the Light, and in the new beginning we will see his face, and his name will be on our foreheads, “And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:5).