The Blast of the Trumpet
In the Old Testament, trumpets and other instruments, such as animal horns, were used for various reasons: to signal movement, in war, to call the Israelites to assemble, and to mark festivals (Julie Schwab in Our Daily Bread). In the New Testament, Jesus also refers to a mighty blast of the trumpet gathering his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth (Matthew 24:31). Did you hear the blast? I did, on January 6th. It was a blast calling all Christians to arms: putting on God’s armor of truth and righteousness,...
read moreResolutions and Safeguards
But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” (Luke 18:16-17) Time for the annual check-up. It’s a new year!! How did the 2020 resolutions work out? What’s on deck for 2021?? For 2020, one of my New Year’s resolutions was “Don’t be crabby.” Many would say this is not a good resolution as it’s not “SMART,” that is, Specific Measurable Achievable...
read moreJoyful Lights
“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that your care for them?” (Psalm 8:3-4 NIV) In the third week of Advent, we focus on joy. To be honest, I am having a hard time with that right now. I am struggling with the social distancing rules, with how it has made my job harder (try doing Zoom school/therapies with special needs kids on top of doing nursing care in some form of Personal Protective Equipment), and I am still...
read moreRoad Work
So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance… Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Luke 3:7-8a, 9 NASB) Trail quality matters. This came home to me with special force last week as Kent and I explored three new areas. First, we visited a marshy lowland frequented by pheasant hunters tucked...
read moreWho is my god?
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV) The Bible is rife with stories of God challenging the Israelites for worshiping other gods, even to the point of punishing them. Last spring, as Covid lodged itself firmly into the fabric our daily lives, I realized that I had a god. Even at my advanced age, I love to be active—especially playing my favorite sport, pickleball, and having a round of golf periodically. But that came to a screeching halt when it became clear that I was...
read moreThe 2020 Commandment
Nine months and counting. NO, I’m not pregnant. But that’s how long we’ve been in this time of quarantine. Sure, it has varied from strict lockdown to braving hybrid “in-person” events. However, nine months is nine months, and that’s a long time to go without a birthday party. Without an in-person worship service. Without kids in “real” school. Without a cup of coffee. Just kidding, that would be absurd. But it’s been nine months. And in all seriousness, I have two questions for all of us. First, what are you worshiping? An odd question for...
read moreProblems with Authority
A note from Miel: “I couldn’t get the election out of my head, and then I realized I’d already written about what was on my mind!” So here is a post from four years ago that remains relevant today. “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.” (1 Peter 2:13-15 NIV) The older I...
read moreGod Don’t Make No Robots
Have you ever thought of something, then shortly afterwards, it appears in the newspaper or on TV? It happened to me this morning. I was thinking about the anxious times we live in, mainly the hate and vitriol between people on the left and right and the fact that God made all types of humans with different skills, temperament, and priorities in life. Minutes later I opened my Bible to the reading of the day. It was Romans 12, in which Paul writes about all having different gifts—prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, showing...
read moreThe Character of the King
The small group I’m in recently finished reading 1 and 2 Kings. The text repeatedly evaluates kings for whether they do “right” or “evil in the eyes of the Lord.” In Israel, bad kings are “following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit” (1 Kings 15:34 NIV), while in Judah, a king either does or doesn’t follow God “as his father David had done” (1 Kings 15:11 NIV). Eventually, bad kings led both nations into such egregious sin that God allowed them to be conquered. The Bible doesn’t shy away...
read moreTeetering on the Brink
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14 NASB) Living out my walk with Jesus in “the 167,” as we say at Creekside (the other 167 hours of the week after the hour of church service), has been challenging these days leading up to the election of 2020. One week, my pastor exhorts plainly from the pulpit: faith without works is dead. Get busy doing what God is telling you to do! Another week, our text is James 3:1-12. My pastor preaches: beware, beware!...
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