This last weekend, 11 freshman stood in front of our congregation, affirmed their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and expressed their intention to journey with our church through life, at least until they move away for college. As part of this moment, we anointed each student with oil and said, “Because you belong to Christ, you belong to us, and we belong to you.” It was incredibly beautiful. Before the service, I...
Just a few weeks ago, I came home from what has been a mentally and spiritually emptying season of work. The last month had been one of those seasons filled with “pound-your-head-against-the-wall” experiences, the struggle of dealing with apathy amongst your team, and numerous examples where the harder you try, the more things fall apart. After tossing my jacket and tie onto my bed, I sauntered into the living room and sunk into the couch,...
‘Tis the season for self-control. The beginning of Lent always seems to inspire a flurry of resolutions and prohibitions, sometimes the same ones we made at the outset of the year then promptly forgot to keep. As we begin this season of intentional identification with Christ’s wilderness experience and self-denial, my husband and I are walking through Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace University” (FPU). We’ve been “living like no one else” for a few years now,...
“You see, but you do not observe.” So says Sherlock Holmes to John Watson in the first episode of BBC’s revival of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved detective. Filming has just wrapped for a third season, which is set to air sometime in 2014, and Benedict Cumberbatch (Holmes) and Martin Freeman (Watson) have already signed onto a 4th season. I couldn’t be more excited. Not only was this show well written and acted, it was...
This weekend, my youngest brother will become the wedded spouse to fellow-minded companion in humor, his life coach and motivator, his faithful supporter and encourager, and his dear friend, Brittany. This is the second wedding in seven months in the Gish household (perhaps a sign that they’re a hot commodity- ladies take note, as there are few and fewer Gish in the sea). But more seriously, this has lead me to pray and to consider...
Like a raging fire within me, I despised my past with a vitriolic hatred. Sinful pleasures had betrayed me and I stood in my vineyard surveying its rotten crop. Mistakes proved plenteous and my past could never be revised. What is to be done with the remains of my now-barren life? I’m not the only guy who’s ever made mistakes, and though I’m not a betting man, I’d wager that I won’t be the last....
1. Discipleship is about a Relationship Michael Wilkins has defined a disciple of Jesus as one who “has come to Jesus for eternal life, has claimed Jesus as Savior and God, and has embarked upon the life of following Jesus.”[1] His very presence in my life and his promise to never leave nor forsake me, encourages me to daily follow Him. At the heart of following Him is this undeserved relationship I have...
She approaches the table slowly, hands laden with plates of food, and I recognize her immediately: Marina from Moldova. She had been our waitress on our last visit, had spoken to us in Russian, and we had prayed for her health. That was at least six months ago, and now, though she isn’t our waitress, she is serving us our food. I want to know how she’s doing, but am not sure if she’ll even...
Whatever family friendly sit-com you grow up watching- whether the I Love Lucy, Full House, or Home Improvement, the source of the laughs and the heart-tugs are the same- family can be rough sometimes. We can all see the elements of dysfunction, and fortunately, all share a laugh of emphathy when we see it acted out before us. Family- can’t live with ’em, can’t live without them. Jesus had some rough run ins with his family. In...
Dear Bryan, You’re probably at the piano, writing songs about things you know nothing about, like love and loss. Or doing vocal warm-ups so you can audition for that blasted show choir. (Don’t bother. You won’t make it until your senior year, and when you do, you’ll become a bigger nerd than you already are.) I do hope you’ll find time for this letter. I’m writing from the future, of course, to warn you about...
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