Devotional Thoughts on Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:2-4, 3:17-19 November 24-30, 2014 Monday, November 24, 2014 “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen” (Habakkuk 1:1)? Ken opened the letter. It began, “We regret to inform you …” Ken had been praying and looking for a job for months, and […]
Lutheran
Devotions on Jeremiah 1:4-10, 7:1-11
Devotional Thoughts – November 17-23 Jeremiah 1:4-10, 7:1-11 Monday, November 17, 2014 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:4). It was a mild night, with (mercifully) no mosquitoes nipping at any exposed area of my skin. The moon was new. The sky was black and the stars were dazzling white. […]
Thoughts on Isaiah 36:1-37:7
Devotions on Isaiah 36:1-3, 13-20, 37:1-7, 2:1-4 November 10-16, 2014 Monday, November 10, 2014 “King Sennacherib of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them” (Isaiah 36:1). What do you do when tragedy strikes? The doctor walked into the hospital room and told Mike that Mike had cancer. It wasn’t […]
Devotions on Micah 5:2-4, 6:6-8
Devotional Thoughts for November 3-9, 2014 Micah 5:2-4, 6:6-8 Monday, November 3, 2014 “But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah” (Micah 5:2a). Have you ever noticed how often I use the small and the weak? It isn’t that I’m against rich and powerful. I use them on […]
Devotional Thoughts 1 Kings 3:4-18
These devotional thoughts are based on the Narrative Lectionary Reading for Sunday, October 26, 2014 1 Kings 3:4-9 (10-15) 16-28 Monday, October 20, 2014 “The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there” (1 Kings 3:4). Sacrifices come in all shapes and sizes. Sue sacrificed her time (and a good night’s sleep) chaperoning a lock-in for […]
Devotions on Joshua 24:1-15
October 6-12, 2014 Joshua 24:1-15 Monday, October 6, 2014 “I took your father Abraham” (Joshua 24:3a). A new day is about to begin, but before it does Joshua gathers the people and in a prophetic voice calls them to remember what God has done in their lives and in the lives of their ancestors. God’s […]
Celebrating Work
There’s a big weekend coming up. Labor Day—the unofficial end of summer and much more! Labor Day has been celebrated in the United States for over one hundred and thirty years. New York City was the first to celebrate Labor Day. It did so on September 5, 1882. By 1894 the United States Congress had […]
Labels
Have you ever noticed how people like labels? We use them to identify ourselves and others. I’m Swedish, you’re Italian, he’s Costa Rican and she’s Japanese. I’m an Independent, they are Republican or Democrats. I’m Christian, they’re Muslim and she’s Buddhist. You’re Roman Catholic, I’m Lutheran, I think he’s Presbyterian and she’s non-denominational. I guess […]
What Did Jesus Say?
Have you ever been misquoted? You know—you say something and then a few days later it gets back to you in an almost unrecognizable form. This really ticks me off when it happens to me. I say enough things that I regret without people twisting my words. I am especially angered when misquotes are hurtful […]
Looking Into a Mirror
One of the mystical and powerful characteristics of the Bible is its ability to reveal the truth about both humanity and one’s self in its stories. The struggles of the men and women in the pages of the Bible to be faithful and obedient to The Lord shine a light on our own battles of […]