I took my car into the dealer yesterday for two small problems having to do with the gas gauge and the battery. The little yellow gas tank icon begins to blink the day after I fill it up. Even though I know it’s full, I begin to feel anxious. I think it’s just messing with me because I have a fear of running out of gas and fill it up when it is half full anyway. My informal face book... Read more

I heard a preacher give a sermon on death one time called “Death’s vehicle.” He waxed eloquent as he informed the congregation: “Everybody’s death has a vehicle that takes them from this life over the bridge to the next. For some it’s cancer. For others it’s an accident. Or a heart attack. Or violence. Or just plain old age. But everybody’s death has a vehicle. The trick is to make sure your tank is filled up when your vehicle pulls... Read more

“And seeing that he had been lying there a long time, Jesus asked him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’” (John 5: 6) Note that Jesus is not asking  “Do you want to be cured?”  Although of course we do! We all want to be cured of all ailments, all problems, and all negative circumstances in our lives. And at the end of this story, the man is given the ability to walk. But taking this healing in context of... Read more

Knowing that he had been lying there a long time, Jesus asked him “Do you want to be made well?” (John 5:6) What was the man’s malady? Apparently some sort of paralysis that left him unable to move his legs or at least able to move them only with great difficulty. The man doesn’t point out his need for healing himself.  Jesus perceives it and takes the initiative. He was poor – the word used for mat is that used... Read more

This fall semester I’ve been teaching a course with my colleague Dr. Mark Stamm, Professor of Worship at Perkins School of Theology on preaching and worship in life’s transitions. We’ve talked about major transitions like weddings and funerals. Our latest unit is on times in life when people are stuck and need the healing touch of God, the presence of Jesus, and the love of the community. We’ve talked about how healing and cure are not the same thing, that... Read more

October’s Promise When I was younger, say in my teens and early twenties, May was my favorite month. I grew up in Pennsylvania and springtime was green shoots and chirpy birds and people who were naturally more cheerful because they didn’t have to shovel snow anymore. I liked October, but mainly for the candy corn and the costumes. Now that I’m older and maybe wiser May and October have switched places in my favorites list. October is golden glow. May... Read more

On September 30 I posted a brief comment on how much I love October on my face book page. “Tomorrow is the first day of this Pennsylvania native’s all time favorite month. I speak of course of October, in case you have not been keeping track of the passage of time lately. October 3 is Murry’s and my wedding anniversary and October 7 is son Matt’s birthday. Plus it’s just a gorgeous month in Texas. Add in pumpkins and cider... Read more

  “There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.” (Proverbs 14:12) Does this proverb have any traction in your life? Or does it just seem like a negative generalization? It helps to remember that proverbs are not one size fits all truths. They are ethical flashlights, not spotlights. You are supposed to read a proverb and ask yourself- What situations in my life and those of others does this proverb... Read more

I heard on the news yesterday about a man in Irving, Texas killed on his way to work. They found him several feet off the road, bruised and battered from having been thrown some distance. His injuries indicated that he had been hit from behind by a pickup. The driver didn’t stop. That story stuck in my mind and raised several questions. Why didn’t the driver stop, turnaround and go back?  Where is he or she now? Will they find... Read more