The romance of the heart is with our humanity and God. When we fall in love with a person in a romantic relationship, they capture our thoughts, feelings, and undivided attention. We fabricate and fantasize about ways of spending every waking moment enamored in their presence and company. Young couples describe their reason for getting…
In various ways, Jesus communicated the Kingdom of God is present in the here and now. His first words were, “The time has come; the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mk. 1:15) There are a new kingdom and a new realm of time and space revealed. There is…
One day I placed a chair in the middle of my study and sat down….whether we recognize it or not, we all need a quiet place one on one with God. I felt like a nomad, thirsty and dying with no visible water in sight. I didn’t know precisely how to quench my spiritual thirst, but…
Someone asked me, what is the most significant hindrance to being aware of God’s presence in your life? It was a simple answer….Me. Without the light of the living Christ, I am like a dead person walking in the world, unconscious of anything but my self-absorbed life. One day touched by the tender grace of…
When we seek an ongoing relationship with God, silence is golden, where we contemplate our communication as a God-centered instead of a self-centered dialogue. Life is not about us, and it never will be. After decades in Christian ministry, the verse, “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10) would help unravel the mystery of walking…
I fondly remember entering the sanctuary of my hometown Methodist Church as a little boy and being told to be silent and respectful as I prepared for worship. The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him. Habakkuk 2:20 I admit the silence was annoying for me, but in my…
A Sioux Native American saying: The longest journey you will make in your life is from your head to your heart. It is especially true in transferring the knowledge about God in your head and being able to experience the excitement of loving God in your heart. I am on the same journey, for I understand…
Wayne Muller headlines a chapter in his book “Sabbath” with the title “Fear of Rest” and opens it with this humorous but poignant tale. Rabbi Levi saw a man running in the street and asked him, “Why do you run?” He replied, ” I am running after my good fortune!” So Rabbi Levi tells him,…
The last stanza of Psalms one hundred and fifty in the Old Testament concludes with these words. “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” It is the sixth verse that is the final description of man’s worship carried out in the sanctuary and His mighty heavens. Praise is responding to God’s power and surpassing…
It is time in your life to move on and no longer be held hostage by those who are unwilling to apologize or reconcile with you. We want family or friends who have wronged or violated us to admit their actions. We want an apology for what they have done to us, but often there…
As a disciplined soldier ordered to attention, a sacred word commands my mind to pay attention at any given moment. When I engage in a sacred word or scripture, I call my mind to action and to be aware of God’s presence. It declares the intention of my heart to obey the will of God. Father…
In eastern tradition, the term “monkey mind” is well known and understood by those who meditate within those cultures. Our western world, which influences Christian thought, is unfamiliar with the Buddhist concept. However, if you ask a western Christian to define “monkey mind,” they would have a reasonable probability of guessing its meaning. Just as…