John 20:19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for [they were afraid]. Over the course of the Easter season, I see a lot of my colleagues and friends posting various […]
Acrostic Contemplations
This is an entry in the “Acrostic Contemplations.” “Grace, she takes the blame She covers the shame Removes the stain It could be her name” I was sitting in a meeting of the university deans with the president and the provost presiding. We were discussing language for a new campaign, considering what slogan […]
This is an entry in the “Acrostic Contemplations” and began as a sermon for the Second Sunday in Lent (February 25, 2024). “[The LORD] brought Abram outside and said, ‘Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall […]
I have a deep desire, often uncontrollable, to be understood. More specifically, that my ideas and arguments should be understood. It is a horrible habit and I have been aware of it for decades and I fight against these inclinations, and often lose. It can ruin relationships and it has […]
This is an entry in the “Acrostic Contemplations.” See “Nunc Dimittis” “…He will swallow up death forever.” Isa. 25:8a We do not like to talk about death. Never have. Any of us. Which is not to say we don’t talk about death, we can’t avoid it. And there are some, […]
This is an entry in the “Acrostic Contemplations.” Rather than the love of money, it is perhaps the lack of contentment, the ability to be satisfied with what one has, that is the root of most evils. Why else do we yearn for more money than because we are unsatisfied […]
This is an entry in the “Acrostic Contemplations.” “Bless your heart!” It is a phrase heard often in the Southern United States. Often said with great sincerity, often an older person expressing genuine sympathy, it can also cut against the grain, suggesting mockery or condescension. As the site “It’s a […]
This is an entry in the “Acrostic Contemplations.” Originally posted on January 1, 2024, this entry is the beginning of the second round of Acrostic Contemplations. “Time does not exist.” “Time is a human construct.” “Latest theories of physics eliminate time entirely.” These are all statements often found around the […]
This is an entry in the “Acrostic Contemplations.” Zeal is an older term that largely survives in modern English only in reference to a zealot; hardly a term one would want ascribed to themselves. The related term “jealous” is equally pejorative. Yet within the Bible we find that the term “zeal” […]
This is an entry in the “Acrostic Contemplations.” YHWH – See J – Jahwe Youth is wasted on the young. That’s the saying, anyway. The assumption is that the young do not know yet how carefree and joyful that time of life is, so they cannot appreciate it fully. It seems […]