If you hear the word “leprosy” you might think of stories of Jesus healing leprous individuals in the gospels. You would be right, but there are several other interesting stories of leprosy in scripture, including one in Numbers 12. If we read carefully, these fifteen verses are fascinating, humorous, and challenging. Let’s dig in: Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of … [Read more...]
Overcoming the Goat Curse
April 10, 2017 By Leave a Comment
I’ve always been a fan of the underdog. Radically so. Even to the point of sometimes switching allegiances because “my team” was playing against the underdog team. Whether it’s because they’re the underdogs, or simply a best-loved team, or some other reason, the Cubs seemed to become America’s sweetheart team in last fall's World Series. Before the World Series of 2016, I hadn’t … [Read more...]
Becoming Great by Becoming Small
April 6, 2017 By Leave a Comment
“If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” Who said that? If you’re a Harry Potter fan like many of my children, you probably recognize this quote from a conversation between Sirius Black and Hermione Granger in The Goblet of Fire. Sirius was not the first to originate this idea, as many before him said similar things. … [Read more...]
From Death & Despair to Vitality & Life
March 30, 2017 By 1 Comment
During Bible Study this week, we studied the early church in Ephesus and were surprised to read about new disciples who “[had] not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” (Acts 19:1-2) Such a declaration is hard to imagine among Jewish Christians, but reminds us the early church was made up of not only Jewish, but also Gentile believers. The significant role of the Spirit of the Lord … [Read more...]
Do Not Neglect Your Gift
November 10, 2016 By 1 Comment
In a tender exchange between father and son, I witnessed the passing of a baton from one generation to the next - an exchange filled with great hope, anticipation, and sincere prayers for a God-filled future. So intimate was the moment, I felt like I was trespassing; and yet I had been welcomed into the moment, so I sat, watched and learned. So too is our scripture passage from 1 … [Read more...]
