My wife and I traveled to Israel 18 years ago, and during our return visit last year we noticed that much about the Holy Land remains constant (and confusing)—a mix of the sacred and the strange. In Jerusalem pilgrims rub elbows with pickpockets. Merchants hawk T-shirts outside the entrance to the Wailing Wall. A peaceful […]
Use one or both of these questions to introduce the lesson: 1. Recall a time when life was difficult and a friend said, “I’m here for you.” How did the presence of that friend make a difference? 2. Try to define these two terms: tough love and enabling. Both could describe the actions of a […]
I stood next to him in the baptistery and listened to him make his confession of faith. In a matter of days, he would be headed back home to his native Turkey where living out his new faith would be challenging at best. Before we walked into the water, I looked at Emir (not his […]
We want our food fast—and our downloads faster. We want new smart phones and new computers because new means faster. We want to watch our favorite movies and TV shows “on demand.” We want Amazon and FedEx and UPS to deliver our stuff by the next day—or better yet, today. And the boss needs that […]
MONDAY Reading for Today: Matthew 26:1-16 Romans 9:19-33 Psalm 62 Deuteronomy 1–3 Psalm 62 We sometimes look for rest in the wrong places. We might think we need to go on a vacation to get rest. We might think we need more sleep at night. Though vacations are wonderful, the best way to get rest […]
