Way back in 1966, The Beatles released a hit song titled “Eleanor Rigby.” The classic tune paints a sad picture of lonely people who live on the remote edges of the wider world. As the lyrics go, Eleanor Rigby is the caretaker of a ramshackle country church – the one who sweeps up the riceContinue reading “All the Lonely People”
Tag Archives: resurrection
A Soldier, an Athlete, and a Farmer
The apostle Paul, for more than a month of Sundays, has been serving as our explainer-in-chief of any and all matters related to becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. Here’s where we’ve been: First to the Romans and now to us, Paul weaves a stunning daisy chain of faith and belief: We can rejoice inContinue reading “A Soldier, an Athlete, and a Farmer”
Look Around, Not Up
For the past few weeks, the story of God with us from the New Testament gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John has been fueling our discipleship. Time after time, over and over again, we’ve heard Jesus extend the invitation to drop everything and follow him. Drop your old ways of self-centered thinking, and followContinue reading “Look Around, Not Up”
Passing through Jesus
Unlike the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke in which Jesus teaches through parables, John’s Gospel doesn’t include any parables. Instead, Jesus reveals himself through his much-beloved “I AM” sayings: “I AM the bread of life.” “I AM the light of the world.” “I AM the resurrection and the life.” “I AM the way, theContinue reading “Passing through Jesus”
Seeing with Kingdom Eyes
The Lord’s persuasive invitations to discipleship are the common threads woven into our Scripture lessons over the past couple Sundays. Those gracious, open invitations to be counted among Jesus’s followers immediately compel a tax collector named Matthew to quit his lucrative job raking in big bucks for his Roman bosses and to join the communityContinue reading “Seeing with Kingdom Eyes”
Cross Training
We typically sing the rousing lyrics on a Sunday in Lent: “In the cross of Christ I glory, towering o’er the wrecks of time.” The idea of the cross towering over various “wrecks” across the ages became all-the-more poignant in the harrowing days of anger and grief after 9/11. That twisted, iron-girder cross rising fromContinue reading “Cross Training”
Pastoral Meditation: Glory Revealed
Pastor Grant M. VanderVelden shared this message at the funeral for Darlene Janice “Dar” Klein on Thursday, June 2, 2022. Among Dar’s personal effects was a hand-written letter that she penned several years ago. Dar’s family shared it with me while we were making funeral arrangements, and since it provides such an intimate and heartfeltContinue reading “Pastoral Meditation: Glory Revealed”
Collateral Beauty: A Pastoral Meditation for Memorial Day
It is a weekend for remembering. And for those of us whom God has claimed in Christ Jesus, the most important thing for us to remember is that there’s life even in death – “collateral beauty,” the odd-sounding term I’ve shared with you before. Believing in collateral beauty is to hold fast to the notionContinue reading “Collateral Beauty: A Pastoral Meditation for Memorial Day”
My Word Is Flexibility
The intimidating thought of being known for who you really and truly are as a person cuts like a double-edged sword of bane and blessing. On the one hand, 94 percent of respondents to a recent poll agreed with the statement, “Nobody really knows me.” While some folks might take clandestine comfort in such anonymity,Continue reading “My Word Is Flexibility”
Heart health
Old Testament prophets have miserable, unenviable jobs. God taps these individuals – mostly men but also a few women – to proclaim bracing messages of doom and gloom to wayward souls who’ve strayed far from the fold of God. Over the past few Sundays, in our exploration of the story of God with us, we’veContinue reading “Heart health”