paravanes:meditations

--spreadshirt.com I used to speak regularly with someone who often declared herself to be "blessed and highly favored." When I telephoned her and would ask "how are you doing"? or "how is it going with you"?, the instant answer was always "I am blessed and highly favored!" Her answer came too quickly, almost as if no thought went into the response. I understand what many people teach about speaking only those words that reflect the reality you wish to experience. I think I have a least a little bit of understanding regarding why this type of thinking is so popular. I am not sure it's a good idea, or even biblical, but it is popular. I suppose we all like to think we are blessed of the Lord, but what does it mean to be highly favored? I reflect upon two persons from Scripture (Mary, Jesus' mother and the Apostle Paul)  I would consider to be "blessed and highly favored" of the Lord, but their lives were challenging,...

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin."  Hebrews 4:14-16 Jesus understands our loneliness.   The holidays are slowly approaching and news pieces and other information sources are beginning to tell readers and listeners how to prepare for the holidays. Typical advice says if you are spending the holidays alone, prepare ahead of time. Find something to do with other people; plan a trip with a group; donate time at a soup kitchen on Christmas or Thanksgiving. Don't allow yourself to feel the loneliness of being alone.   Being alone doesn't always equal loneliness. Still, it is good to know Jesus understands our loneliness. He was a unique person; though He loved those around Him, no one was just like Him. He was alone when He was tempted by Satan after forty days of fasting and prayer in the desert before He began His public min...

I have recently completed my three times per year ritual of going to the cemetery where my parents are buried (together, in what is called a "companion" grave site), clearing weeds away from the monument that bears their names and dates, and placing a seasonal floral arrangement. A good friend asked by why I do this. She said, "After all, they're not really there." I agreed with her and explained I do this because I recognize this space as the place where I bid them an earthly farewell, and that's very special to me.  Also, I recognize this space as the place from which they will be resurrected when Jesus calls them from the grave. The call may come next year, one hundred years from now, or a thousand years from now. It doesn't matter. Because I believe in the resurrection, a burial spot is sacred ground. That sacred ground deserves care and maintenance, if at all possible. (Image from Elmwood Cemetery , Detroit, Michigan) "O death, wh...

  " Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.   I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God." --Revelation 21:1-3. (Image from calvarybaptist.org) Much of what we call "Christian service" involves struggle, challenge, and delayed gratification. For what and why are we delaying gratification?  We do this because we are waiting for "a new heaven and a new earth." Scripture doesn't give a lot of details about this place, and the information we are given in the Book of Revelation is sometimes complex, coded, and difficult for many to understand. Why is this? Why doesn't God sim...

 This line, "I am one less stone and I'm one more voice to praise" comes from one of my favorite recordings by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. The line originates in Jesus' comment from in Luke 19:39-41 when the religious leaders of His day told Jesus to make His disciples stop talking and "be quiet." Jesus replied "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Stones don't really have a voice, so is Jesus telling us if His followers refuse to speak for Him that nature will speak in our place? Is He telling us that it's impossible for those who really know Him to remain silent about who He is, what He means to them, and what He has done and continues to do in their lives? "I am one less stone." Because I am one less stone, I am not ashamed to pull out a Bible or religious book and read it during a lunch break at work or in a coffee shop. Because I am one less stone, I am not ashamed to pray openly and audibly when I ...

One of my favorite hymns begins with these words: "Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim..." How often do we use the cross as a weapon? How often do we use the symbol of Love in the Midst of Pain as a battering ram against those whose views we do not share? Do we believe Jesus and the cross can be mis-used in this way without consequence? If we do, we are wrong. The most important thing we can say about the cross is that it shows and symbolizes God's willingness to occupy a small space on our behalf, to suffer unimaginable pain for us, to seek us regardless of how wayward and rebellious we have become. This cross is a picture of outstretched arms (temporarily) at the mercy of spitters and scoffers. The only message of the cross is love. Love that is unending, love that does not leave us alone, love that challenges and corrects us, love that says and does what it hard, painful, and uncomfortable. I believe the church should challenge believers to holi...

In that great tradition of one of my favorite blogs, What About Our Daughters , I am taking a break from blogging during the month of August. Please dig through the archives---dating back to 2006--and enjoy what's already here. You may use the "labels"  index in the sidebar to help guide your search. See you in September!