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A few years ago a number of us at church sat around, trying to figure out the nature of our little community...
Christians often fall into two different extremes when it comes to matters of right and wrong. On the one hand, some lean toward legalism, implying or even teaching that we need to keep...
No doubt about it. Listening is one of the hardest things you will ever do. ...
Jesus follows the "salt of the earth" metaphor with a similar one: "You are the light of the world." Here the emphasis is upon the visibility of the disciples. We who follow Jesus...
I found this post by "Julie, a college Junior who loves a cup of tea and a good book" over at Bloom...
Salt had a wide variety of uses in the ancient world. It was a preservative, a purifier, and even an ingredient in fertilizer. But in this passage, Jesus emphasizes the usage of salt...
The last of the beatitudes is an elaboration of the previous one: "God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for...
We would hope that doing what's right would be accepted, perhaps even rewarded. Often this is the case. If we do what's...
From a biblical point of view, a pure heart is a heart of integrity. It entails singlemindedness in devotion to God. Moreover, those who honor God with their whole hearts will also live...
Real Live Preacher has an interesting piece up about the ancient craft of scribal calligraphy. We aren't the first generation to consider that our daily work is a calling. The big surprise at the...
Our partner ministry, Laity Lodge is pleased to have Dr. Marva Dawn as their speaker at the June 5-8 retreat (along with...
What is mercy? The biblical language for mercy suggests compassion for those in need as well as forgiveness for those who have done wrong. Proverbs 14:21, in language very similar to Matthew 5:7,...
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the...
What does it mean to hunger and thirst for justice? The Greek word translated here as "justice" is dikaiosune, a term that...
One of our county parks here in New Jersey has a wonderful display of honeybees. The bees created a hive, and the park rangers created a window so that visitors to the nature...
I've known for years that bad times often make us stronger, often lead us to good things, often turn out to be somehow in God's plan. I've learned this over the years as...
The funny thing is, the humble are probably not interested in inheriting the earth. Yet in the kingdom of God, things are turned upside down. Those who haven't aspired to personal greatness will be...
The Sermon on the Mount begins with The Beatitudes of Jesus (from the Latin word beatus, which means "blessed").
Every Square Inch continues his series on what it means to be a succesful person, from a Christian point of view. He's...
