I recently read about a pastor who collects wooden donkeys. This pastor attaches great meaning to the donkeys because early in her career, someone told her, “If God could use a donkey (on Palm Sunday) to carry Jesus into the city, God can use us, too.” This served as a reminder that God can take us all, with our insecurities and flaws, and…

Recently, in my daily Bible reading, I read Eugene’s Peterson’s comments on Titus 2: 1-6. Peterson explained that in order to build Christian community, “we need a few souls in whom love is gently at work, covering a multitude of sins.” I see that in so many of you, and for that I am grateful. To me, love being “gently at work”…

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Recently, a set of circumstances required me to reflect upon the last 33 years of my life. Initially, I was not eager to complete this exercise, as I viewed it as unnecessary busywork. However, as I remembered events and people from the past, a deep sense of gratitude welled up within me. I realized, after looking back at…

Recently, a Grace member shared with me a writing about the purpose of Lent. The word Lent comes from the same root word as “length.” We are being “lengthened”, or stretched, into the full stature of Christ through our disciplines. The writer states, “What Lent is really about is opening ourselves to someone else, about stretching ourselves, so that we can receive…

When you hear the phrase “Amazing Grace”, what comes to mind? Is it the lyrics of the hymn, or is it a personal experience from your life? When in your life do you specifically remember experiencing God’s Grace, and how did you feel as a result? I ask this question because the answer may inspire us to live into God’s calling in…

We are now in the season of Lent, and I recently read something by Eugene Peterson about the process of self-examination that is a critical part of Lenten practice. Peterson says, “No matter how many things our examination turns up, scrapping the life within us isn’t an option. God created this life, he has entered into it, he has provided the means…

I have mentioned before that I enjoy my Message Devotional Bible and particularly the reflections from Eugene Peterson that it contains. One such reflection is an analogy from how fruit grows to how we grow spiritually. We cannot force the growth and health of fruit, and if fruit is not consumed within certain time constraints, the fruit will spoil. So it is…

One of my favorite authors, Frederick Buechner, once wrote about how all of us “wear masks” that partially hide our true selves. Buechner stated, “We wear masks, and with practice we do it better and better, and they serve us well—except that it gets very lonely inside the mask, because inside the mask that each of us wears there is a person…

Recently, I read an article entitled “Reclaiming the E Word.” The “E” word is evangelism, and for many Christians the word conjures images of aggressive efforts to convert non-believers. The author offered a new perspective on the word. She says, “What if we share the Good News with a view to discerning how God is alive in all people and all things?…

I am not particularly knowledgeable about boats, but a few years ago I heard an analogy to faith based upon boating. The analogy is that our connection to Christian community, and to the Holy Spirit, serves as a ballast that offers us stability amidst the stormy times of our lives. This analogy really stuck with me. I have often experienced the stability…