Sunday
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When the Seed Falls
“Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” — John 12:24 Something changes in John 12. Throughout much of John’s Gospel, Jesus has spoken about an hour that had not yet come. There was more to do. More to say.… Continue reading
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But Their Hearts Were Far From Me
There are passages of Scripture that invite us to wonder because they describe something spectacular—a sea divided, fire falling from heaven, a storm silenced with a word. Then there are passages that invite us to wonder because they turn our expectations upside down. First Corinthians 1:18–25 does the latter. And, fittingly enough, Paul uses three… Continue reading
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But Now
“There is no one righteous, not even one…”—Romans 3:10 That’s not exactly the verse you’d expect to find printed beneath a beautiful sunrise on an inspirational Sunday morning graphic. Paul isn’t trying to make us feel particularly good about ourselves in the opening chapters of Romans. Quite the opposite. He has been systematically dismantling our… Continue reading
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Even Angels Long to Look
“It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.”—1 Peter 1:12 There are some things we have… Continue reading
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Fearfully and Wonderfully Made; Intimately Known and Loved
Years ago, knowing how much I enjoy poking around dusty old Bibles and theological books, my sister Diann gave me a treasure she discovered in a used bookstore. It is called Reflections on the Works of God in Nature, written by Christoph Christian Sturm and originally published in German in the 1770s. My English-language copy was… Continue reading
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The God Who Cannot Be Contained
“But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!” —1 Kings 8:27 It must have been breathtaking. After years of planning and construction, Solomon’s Temple was complete. This was the magnificent house David had dreamed of building for the Lord, and… Continue reading
