Watching God’s dance partners is the best way to learn about dancing with God. I hope we all have individuals around us who live as Jesus lived, observing what God is doing and responding with their small parts. For now, let’s watch Philip and Peter in the book of Acts. Both men were already dancing […]
Let’s face it, God does the bulk of the positive and spiritually significant work in the world; our parts are miniscule. Yet He involves us. How is that? Perhaps we can liken it to a dance for couples, a dance comprised of set steps that can be arranged in different sequences as the lead dancer […]
Spectacular dances performed at epic events like opening ceremonies for the Olympic Games have grand themes. Choreographers weave the steps, music, costumes, backdrop, lighting, and props to maximum effect. Audiences gasp and cheer when they see everything syncing perfectly and the themes popping. Jesus’ life was a dance. The backdrop was formed by centuries of […]
Did Jesus hope for anything? We find no mention of it in the Gospels. For me, hope has been the engine moving me forward. I hope for flourishing relationships, fruitful projects, increased supply that frees my time, exciting new adventures. Hopes like these propel me beyond the dutiful and mundane. After experiencing dashed hope fresh […]
One of the most painful experiences is being kicked out of a group. Relationships matter. We need the encouragement of others. We thrive on shared visions, values, experiences, and simple things like food and fun. However, it is not unusual for followers of Jesus to face the pain of separation or dislocation. It happened to […]
Large rivers flow smooth; it is hard to discern the current. The same can be said of the purposes of God. But when we find His current, life takes on a meaning and direction it never had. That was true for the disciples after Jesus rose and sent His Spirit. One example is when Peter […]
The walls lining the road to hell are plastered with Satan’s favorite religious posters and memes. They announce half-truths. One reads, “God loves you just as you are.” In fact, love is bigger than acceptance. Perhaps the most toxic inhibitor of spiritual growth is the idea that God accepts us as we are. It is […]
What plans we had when we were younger! We worked all hours on the lake. We saved every spare denarius hoping to buy our next boat. What dreams! A small fleet; dominating the Galilean fishing business; building nice houses; acquiring land for animals, olives and vineyards; enough servants to semi-retire. It all changed that day […]
I’m told there is a sign on a dirt road in the Australian outback, “Choose your rut carefully, you will be in it for the next fifty miles.” We get confused about our choices. Some are inconsequential but we bite nails and lose hair over them. Others matter far more but we shrug, and act […]
Life has its ups and downs. Have you ever returned from a reinvigorating trip to find a tax demand in the waiting mail reminding you it’s tax season? That’s how Peter must have felt when Jesus and His disciples returned from the mount of transfiguration. Tax collectors saw Peter coming. “Does your teacher not pay […]