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“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” – Psalm 34:15 Certain words in the English language sound like what they describe. Words like “buzz,” “cuckoo,” “BOOM!” “ooze,” and “screech.” These are called onomatopoetic words. Onomatopoeia is a noun that refers to a word formed by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent. “Buzz” sounds like what it does…buzzzzz. “Crush,” also, is onomatopoetic. You can almost hear that word as an old car is crushed between giant steel jaws in a scrap yard…CARUSHHH!…or even when you wad up a piece of paper. Crush! In Psalm 34, the psalmist speaks of being “crushed in spirit” – a…

Recently I have been thinking about the great truth that no matter who you are or where you live, every life is filled with its share of troubles. Trouble can make us physically sick. It can leave us feeling hopeless. Sometimes we can ignore the trouble and other times we are overwhelmed by it. These are the moments when it becomes critically important that we lean in and trust the Lord.  I am reminded of a story from the book of 2 Chronicles about a King of Judah named Jehoshaphat. He was a good king and a mighty man of God. One day he received word that three…

The defining quality of Christians from the first century to today has always been loving one another. But how can we best live out the life of love for one another in the midst of Covid-19? By practicing the principle of thinking of others before ourselves. I have to confess that in this present crisis I struggle personally with this question on a daily basis. There is indeed a thin line between self-care and self-absorption. When does caring for myself become self-absorption? This is a difficult question to answer and one that each of us must answer for ourselves under the guidance of the Holy Spirit through introspection, prayer and Bible study. And exactly how we answer this question might look a little different for each Christian as we individually struggle to discern what God’s desire is for us to serve him in this present time.

If the grace of Jesus Christ means anything, it means that we who are betrayers can come to the cross, and have that terrible weight of our crime taken from us. If on the other hand, we’re among those who have been betrayed, there’s hope for us as well. At the cross, we can find relief from our bitterness and hurt. Forgiveness is what Jesus is all about, and he offers to us the deliverance of a forgiving heart that we might also forgive.

As Christ gave his body and blood for the world, we’re called to give ourselves. As he washed the feet of his disciples, so we’re called to outdo one another in serving and showing honor to one another. Jesus has shown us an example of what we’re to be if we’re to follow him in the world and if we’re to partake of his body and blood in this Eucharist.

The gap between my two sons is a pretty big one. They are almost exactly 3 feet and 10 years apart.  Observing them in the park the other day on our daily walk, I noticed the youngest doesn’t actually walk with us, he runs. Some of this is because he loves to get ahead of us and lead the way but mostly it is simply because he is running to just keep up. So of course it isn’t long before he is dragging behind, exhausted.  He doesn’t want to give up. The mere suggestion makes him angry. But he simply isn’t yet capable of keeping our pace. So we slow our stride. We encourage him.  We wait for…

 13 If you are trying hard to do good, no one can really hurt you. 14 But even if you suffer for doing right, you are blessed. “Don’t be afraid of what they fear; do not dread those things.”( Isaiah 8:12–13)15 But respect Christ as the holy Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have, 16 but answer in a gentle way and with respect. Keep a clear conscience so that those who speak evil of your good life in Christ will be made ashamed. 17 It is better to suffer for doing good than for doing…

A beautiful word out of Duke Divinity School from the Dean, L. Gregory Jones, to begin our Holy Week together.  May it bless your spirit as it blessed mine.   “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”John 1:5   In times of crisis like our current pandemic of COVID-19, it can feel like the darkness is overwhelming. Fears and anxieties rise, and inclinations toward compassion diminish. History teaches us that pandemics often lead to a preoccupation with survival that can cause us to shrink into ourselves rather than expand outward. Loneliness becomes more pervasive, and isolation from the world closes in on us. Despair…