For sixteen years, I was senior pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, a moderate-sized church in Orange County, California. Compared to most churches in America, we were large. But Irvine Pres...
"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' 'I will not,' he answered, but...
I stomped one foot, then the other on the frozen sidewalk, peering down the street, hoping to see the bus. My breath fogged the air. In the canyon of Chicago high rises, here...
Every now and then as I read Scripture, a word or a phrase jumps out at me. Sometimes this happens because the Spirit of God stirs in my mind. Sometimes I am simply...
In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul explains that God makes himself and his ways known to us through the Spirit: “For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets” (2:10). Apart from...
Do you ever feel inadequate to speak of your faith?
Over the years I've read thousands of blog entries at the High Calling Network, but I'm still thrilled when I discover a new blog. Don't you love it when you discover a writer...
As steam wafted from the bowl of macaroni and cheese, our son would pray. ...
I have been active in church for over fifty years. Forty-seven years ago, I came forward at a Billy Graham crusade and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I have heard the...
What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory...
While on the road recently, I stopped in at Sheetz, my favorite gas station. If you’re not familiar with it, Sheetz is a chain found in Pennsylvania and a few other mid-Atlantic states...
In last Wednesday’s reflection, I focused on 1 Corinthians 1:2, where Scripture reveals that all of us have been called by God...
In the mornings, when I pray, I light a candle. When my quiet time is over, I carry the candle from room to room with me as I ready myself for the day...
In some cultures, it is common at funeral services to call the name of the deceased three times. Because the dead person cannot respond, others declare, "I am here." Those are not idle...
On my way to the bus stop this morning, walking the narrow balance beam of a tiny sidewalk, I found myself doing it again. A car sped past me at twice the speed...
When I was a child, I was afraid of sirens. If a police car was racing through our neighborhood with its siren blazing, I’d plug my ears and find a safe place to...
1 Corinthians 1:3 is one of those verses in Scripture that we tend to skim because the language is so familiar. Indeed, the Apostle Paul begins most of his letters with a “wish-prayer” that the...
High school youth group years were my spiritual glory years. A worship service every Sunday morning followed by Sunday School for teenagers and the fairly frequent service later that evening. Youth...
Consciousness is self awareness. The moment a person realizes that he or she exists is when the conscious mind is born. Before...
Throughout spring, my kids would come to me with requests to join their friends on outings such as sleepovers, birthday parties, and a production of “The Three Musketeers,” but I had to say...
