Have a listen to the Johnny Cash song, “Ain’t No Grave.” What is it about? Is Cash’s song about zombies? Turn in your Bibles to 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:4. Paul writes, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like theContinue reading “The sleeping kind of death versus the sickness unto death – 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:4, Part 1”
Tag Archives: despair
We long for peace in a fraught world – Advent Peace, Preview
This past week I received the following text messages, each from a different person. Do you see a theme? “Prayer request: feeling pretty overwhelmed this week with everything going on, having a hard time managing stress.” “I’m at urgent care now. Been having tightness/pain/gas build-up(?) on the left side of my chest on and offContinue reading “We long for peace in a fraught world – Advent Peace, Preview”
What to do when life feels hopeless – Advent Hope, Part 4
This week I once again welcome guest blogger, Kirk Marks. Kirk is a retired pastor of 30 years who now works in international fair trade. My favorite Old Testament minor prophet is Habakkuk. Habakkuk had a message of hope from God for people, but Habakkuk’s message doesn’t start out very hopeful. Here’s how Habakkuk begins,Continue reading “What to do when life feels hopeless – Advent Hope, Part 4”
Hope is to the soul what oxygen is to the body – Advent Hope, Part 2
This week I once again welcome guest blogger, Kirk Marks. Kirk is a retired pastor of 30 years who now works in international fair trade. While I was serving in the coal regions (as I mentioned in the previous post), I graduated from seminary, and after seminary I sought opportunities to continue my education. IContinue reading “Hope is to the soul what oxygen is to the body – Advent Hope, Part 2”
The sickness of the human soul – Advent Hope, Part 1
This week I once again welcome guest blogger, Kirk Marks. Kirk is a retired pastor of 30 years who now works in international fair trade. When I shared with my family that I was going to be preaching the first Sunday of Advent on the theme of hope, my youngest daughter, Margaret, said, “Oh, wow,Continue reading “The sickness of the human soul – Advent Hope, Part 1”
How and what to pray when you have reached a breaking point – 1st Samuel 1:1-2:11, Part 3
Have you ever observed a stranger weeping? Did you approach them and ask, “Are you okay?” Typically when someone is weeping, we have sympathy for them. Maybe even empathy, because most of us know what it feels like to be so distraught that we are weeping bitterly. Similarly, in our story this week, 1st SamuelContinue reading “How and what to pray when you have reached a breaking point – 1st Samuel 1:1-2:11, Part 3”
How lament provides empathy in our despair – Advent Psalms of Lament, Part 3
This week I welcome guest blogger, Jeff Byerly. Jeff is my pastoral colleague, friend, ThD classmate, and traveling partner! He and his wife Tasha have two daughters, a son-in-law and new grandbaby! In the first post, I mentioned the zeitgeist that we seem to be under—with things beyond our control. It’s always been this way,Continue reading “How lament provides empathy in our despair – Advent Psalms of Lament, Part 3”
When life is bitter pill – Advent Psalms of Lament, Part 2
This week I welcome guest blogger, Jeff Byerly. Jeff is my pastoral colleague, friend, ThD classmate, and traveling partner! He and his wife Tasha have two daughters, a son-in-law and new grandbaby! As I mentioned in the previous post, we will turn our hearts toward lament in order to turn our heads upward toward God’sContinue reading “When life is bitter pill – Advent Psalms of Lament, Part 2”
God’s message to us when life seems out of control – Jeremiah 46 & 47
Over my years of pastoral ministry, when people experience sickness, lose a job or mourn the passing of a loved one, they have often asked the question, “Why did God allow that to happen?” In those painful situations, it’s quite natural to wonder what role God might have behind the scenes. Some go so farContinue reading “God’s message to us when life seems out of control – Jeremiah 46 & 47”
Wrestle: Voice Your Doubt – Psalm 77, Part 2
This week I welcome guest blogger, Clint Watkins, as he shares with us how his personal experience of loss and pain led him to learn how to seize hope through lament. If you want to learn more about Clint, please visit his website. In the previous post, we learned how lament starts with weeping, inContinue reading “Wrestle: Voice Your Doubt – Psalm 77, Part 2”
Engaging Scripture 