Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we …
Not to Condemn
My stomach growled with hunger and my feet hurt from a busy twelve-hour shift, but I resisted the urge to go home and collapse. Instead I crept into the soft glow of the sanctuary at the Methodist church a few blocks from work. It was Ash Wednesday, and I remembered how the service last year …
Wandering in the Wilderness
I have always viewed a spiritual wilderness as a blessing in disguise; an intensely painful and lonely place, yes, but a good place.The wilderness is a place or season in our lives where God strips away what is precious to us so that we are able to hear Him. Many times in the Bible, God …
Jesus, Who Lives in Mud, by Lucinda J. Miller
A few days before Easter: I stride in boots down the gravel road that runs past our house, look back at heel prints left in soft dirt. Water and half-melted snow pool in ditches. I scoop up a handful of soggy gravel and smell it, but the peculiar scent of earthy spring is not in …
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What No One Ever Told Me About The Foster System
Joel Horst: I’m thrilled to share a guest post from a friend who works in the foster care system in another state. Having heard story after heartrending story, stories I had never realized were part of everyday life for some kids, I offered to host a guest post if my friend wanted to write one. …
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Submission—Weapon of Warfare or Tool of Orderliness and Stability? by Sharon Graber Carpenter
Have you ever contemplated walking into a battlefield carrying an umbrella? Would you feel safer carrying an umbrella or wearing body armor if you knew there was a formidable enemy wishing to destroy you? Why the ludicrous comparison of umbrellas and body armor? Both have specific purposes and can be used for physical protection. The …
Hearing the Voice of Jesus, by Ryan McKelvey
“Lord, to whom else would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.” (John 6:68) We were halfway through our four-day backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail. We were long past the beauty of the Potomac River, but too far from civilization or the promise of pizza to quicken our steps. It was …
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God speaks through a parking lot
Some say that God's voice always results on us falling on our faces with the force of His glory; that if we doubt it is His voice, we haven't heard Him. And they have a point--the awesome presence of God is capable of melting us in an instance. I have felt that force. But I …
Snow and an Answered Prayer
My fondest childhood memories include my siblings and I waddling up steep Pennsylvania hills, towing our sleds while laughing and talking until we piled onto our reckless crafts and flew screaming down the hill. During Christmas holidays, our church families had a tradition of getting together and driving around the neighborhood, where we sneaked out …
Desert places
Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast In a field I looked into going past, And the ground almost covered smooth in snow, But a few weeds and stubble showing last. The woods around it have it--it is theirs. All animals are smothered in their lairs. I am too absent-spirited to count; The loneliness …
