Category: Faith

Notes for January 2024

My sermon this month is titled, Eyes, Nose, and Shoulder for the Sake of Christ. The primary point is to keep our eyes on Jesus (from Hebrews 12:1). I’ve always like the metaphors of keep your nose to the grindstone and put your shoulder to the wheel. To do the will of God we do …

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Breathing, Mindfulness, and God

I put the following into ChapGPT: How can Christians use Transformational Breathing to grow closer to God? Please tell me the steps. I don’t need to have the benefits reviewed. I just want to know how to do it. The response: Transformational Breath can be incorporated into a Christian’s spiritual practice as a way to …

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Good poem – “To be of use”

I had a colleague shared a poem with me I’d not seen before. Good one, by Marge Piercy in 1973, “To be of use.” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/57673/to-be-of-use To be of use The people I love the best jump into work head first without dallying in the shallows and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight. …

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Tim Keller on the Decline and Renewal of the American Church

Tim Keller, who I respect very much, has written an extensive article on the decline of the American church. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/tim-keller-decline-renewal-american-church/ It is, in fact, part of a yet larger work. Fuller article here. I am one who does believe in the virgin birth, life, death, physical resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, the transforming power …

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The thoughtful Soul to Solitude retires.

The thoughtful Soul to Solitude retires.Online from a poem by Omar Khayyam (1048-1131) the very influential Persian mathematician, philosopher, & poet. Follow this link for an insightful analysis of the poem.https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/Poets/K/KhayyamOmar/4NowNewYear/index.html He was certainly not Hebrew or Christian.

Cory Booker is being inspirational and we need that.

Cory Booker gives an inspirational speech to supreme court justice nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson (see here*) and here. Cory Booker is being: hopeful respectful historical poetic realistic (for all have sinned and fall short) forward thinking inspirational encouraging. We need this sometimes (actually, we need this more often than not). I applaud him. He is …

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2021 Daily Devotionals

2021 In 2021, I started, and was able to complete, two daily Christian devotionals. I think this is the first time I’ve ever been able to actually do all 365 days. These were excellent. The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge is written by Tony Dungy. This was a gift to me Christmas 2020 from …

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Notes for August 14, 2021

  A few notes related to today’s sermon, The Joy of POP (privilege, opportunity, priority). Tony Dungy Books by Tony Dungy here.  They include Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, & Priorities of a Winning Life and The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge. Super Bowl Breakfast Speech Tony Dungy Super Bowl Breakfast 2006 Part 1 …

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Ah-ha, when I walk up to a situation

Phillipians 2:3-5 says: 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Forgive me Lord. When I approach a …

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Grace is a Kingdom with Doors Open Wide

Broken Things is a wonderful song by Matthew West.  The concluding last line, “Grace is a kingdom; With gates open wide; There’s a seat at the table just waiting for you; So, come on inside.” is a great statement on the grace of God, His Kingdom, and the welcome He provides. Lyrics: If grace …

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