Trout, much like the cutthroat in the pic above (by usgs.gov), have taught me much about the finer aspects of the spiritual life. Honest. Fishing for the hatchery-raised idiots in California’s roadside streams, Power Bait works well with these who don’t recognize genuine trout food. Scientific research has blended the scent trout love with a consistency that will stick on a hook, yet with no nutritive value. But I most love hiking into the backcountry to find ...
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Gold Medals
Exceptionally low self-worth plagued my early years. In elementary school, life lost so much joy I also lost laughter for several months. In high school, primarily only the permanence of suicide kept that from being tried. In college, I learned how to gold medal in competition—with others.
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Christmas Freedom
Distractions come easy, especially this time of year. The joy of picking and giving gifts. The beauty of houses extravagantly lit. The comfort of getting with family so often scattered in needed pursuit of separate lives. Congenial gatherings with friends and coworkers. All so focused on the fun of Christmas that I, at least, sometimes miss deeper truths. Not about the birth of Jesus, the wise men, the shepherds, and all. They get ample attention. But this year, another Christmas thought captivates me...
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Born in Blood and Mud
True confession time—I admit to being a bit of a Christmas junkie. Not overly, like the house above, but the family puts up with my driving, often to a fairly distant town, hunting down great displays. The joy and good feelings of the season, the giving, the times to gather with family and friends all bring delight. Granted, the first Christmas didn’t match that.
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image by airphotona.com
Born to be Wild, Living Mild
Every choice changes our direction. We examine our options, weigh the cost/benefit ratio, and decide. Yet confidence in the benefit doesn’t eliminate regrets over the cost. A major part of spiritual formation flows from accepting that tension, and not allowing regrets to eat at our soul. Some of my best decisions have had the highest costs, but I don’t want to reset my life. Well, a little. But not enough.
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image by latimes.com
Shalom in Ferguson?
Shalom in Ferguson? According to Strong’s Dictionary, shalom goes beyond “peace” to encompass “completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.” What chance do you think Ferguson has in the near future for any of those?
But let me suggest Ferguson is merely a metaphor for America, or even the world. Stress...
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image by Hubble at forwallpaper.com
God: Mystery or Certainty?
Our perception of God drives our connection with him. View him as legalistic, and rules and fear of failing will consume us. View him as gracious, and we may take advantage and miss obedience. View him as distant, and we never discover intimacy. That principle of perception motivated a search lasting several years, attempting to determine how he can be personal and immediate and simultaneously present in every cubic centimeter of the universe. Was he just a spirit? A force? An expanded body that combined the physical and spiritual?
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image by Iowa State
Why Worship Together?
Last week’s post attracted a lot of interest, but the topic has another level. Then, we explored why we worship—it’s the best antidote to self-centeredness. Some of my most glorious worship occurs in the mountains. Immersed in the beauty of the world that God created, away from the overpowering touch of man, my ego shrinks as I get lost in God’s transcendence. Those magnificent Sierra vistas shout out the grandeur of God.
But worship exceeds that half hour of singing at church, the hour plus of the “worship service.” Worship is life. Yet here is where we can easily miss a key aspect of worship
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