As for me, to be near to God is my happiness. Pss. 73:28 One of the interesting things about watching people relate to each other is what kind of space or distance they maintain while interacting. Sometimes there’s barely a hair’s breadth of separation (as it was among my Italian relatives and Jewish friends). Boundaries...... Read More

A Canaanite woman from that area came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me, for my daughter suffers terribly from demon-possession.’ But Jesus did not answer a word. Mat. 15:22-23 To paraphrase the author of John’s Gospel, “If all the things that people have said about prayer were written down,...... Read More

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free (Galatians 5:1). Certain ideas are more subject to becoming clichéd than others. Love, life, happiness – and our word for today, freedom – are all abstract, big-picture concepts that writers, singers, and casual conversationalists abuse every day. We constantly trivialize and banalize the fundamental questions...... Read More

Abraham believed God, and this was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). It is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). I would say that I experienced a blessed childhood. I had good parents, a stable family environment, lots of friends in the neighborhood and at school, no real fears to assail me....... Read More

The Father’s relentless, gracious pursuit of us is meant to deliver us from our consuming desire to love and serve ourselves above everything else. I don’t think that it would be shocking or controversial for me to say that Jesus is not particularly tolerant of unbelief or that he strongly opposes our indulging in or...... Read More

The Alelyon (one another) passages in the New Testament: Do not lie to each other but speak the truth to each other in love. (Ephesians 4:14, 25; Colossians 3:9) – Part 4 Over the past month or so we’ve been developing an evolving response to Pilate’s question of Jesus on the matter of “what is...... Read More

The Alelyon (one another) passages in the New Testament: Encourage and build up each other (1 Thess. 5:11), Part 2 I was thinking that this week we would move on to a new “one another” passage, but a comment by my good friend Sam Williamson (see his excellent blog at beliefsoftheheart.com) has vaulted me right...... Read More

The “alleylon” (one another) passages in the New Testament, Part 5b: Bear each others’ burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2) Carrying stuff is one of those near-universal experiences of the human race, exempting only the fabulously wealthy who hire or force others to assume the drudgery of burden bearing...... Read More

The “alleylon” (one another) passages in the New Testament, Part 2b: Phil. 2:3 – In humility esteem one another as surpassing yourselves. Today – Friday March 30 – the great majority of Christians in the world reflect on the events of the first of the three most important days in history, the three days encompassing Jesus’...... Read More

Faith working through love (Gal. 5:6): An introduction to the “alleylon” (one another) passages in the New Testament In his letter to some unnamed group of disciples, James, the brother of Jesus, makes the familiar and formerly controversial statement that “faith without works is dead.” I don’t know that James’ comment is particularly divisive in...... Read More