God be praised for ev’rything
I imagine more than a few pastors fancy themselves to be would-be hymn writers. Count me in. Years ago, as a parish pastor, I worked up a hymn for a…
Walking together for 175 years
“Walking together on a path.” That is one definition of synod. You can recognize that word in Luke 2:44: “Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a…
By faith
Imagine seeing a wooden ship 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet tall. And in a field in Kentucky. Yes, it’s the Ark Encounter. Perhaps you have seen…
Forgiving is healthy
A growing body of research reveals that forgiving is healthy. Researchers have discovered that people who forgive others tend to enjoy more health benefits, such as lower blood pressure and…
Water and the Word of God
News outlets called it the largest gathering of humanity in the history of the world. No, it was not the 600,000 people who attended the NFL draft in Green Bay,…
My Christian life: From cockpit to classroom
The journey of a Christian man who became a teacher in his 40s. “Ever since I was a kid, my head’s been in the clouds in a sense.” It’s no…
A real church wedding
It was an unlikely marriage. He was 41 years old; she was 26. He had been excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church, and she had run away from a convent.…
I was today years old
Since when did Amazon’s logo advertise that it sells everything from A to Z? Actually, since the year 2000. The arrow underneath the name, connecting the a and the z,…
Earth-shattering days
It was an unnerving experience for the inhabitants of Jerusalem on that late Friday afternoon in spring. “The earth shook, the rocks split” (Matthew 27:51). This was no ordinary earthquake.…