GENESIS 4:1–12 Canadian cross-country skier Beckie Scott accepted her gold medal from the Olympics in June 2004 at an art gallery in Vancouver. That is intriguing since Utah hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002. Scott took home the bronze behind two competitors who, it was discovered months later, had used banned substances. Injustice, even minor ones … [Read more…]
2 CHRONICLES 7:1–10; PSALM 100:1 Joyce loves John Philip Sousa’s “The March King,” even as a twenty-month-old. She enjoys humming the tune with claps. Her family often dances or parades in circle to the beat. They always get quite lightheaded and giggle a lot in the end. Their joyful noise reminds us of the psalm that encourages … [Read more…]
PHILIPPIANS 4:4–9 “I am afraid.” This was the message a teenager sent on Facebook to her friends as she told them about her upcoming medical tests and hospitalisation, anxiously waiting for doctors to identify the source of her serious medical issues. Fears can arise in various life situations, and finding help and comfort in Scripture can … [Read more…]
EXODUS 23:10–13 On a Sunday, I stood by a stream, enjoying its beauty and listening to birds chirping. I was able to enjoy the area’s beauty because I felt at ease and thankful for the intervention of the Lord in allowing his people to rest. The Lord established a Sabbath for His people to promote their … [Read more…]
COLOSSIANS 4:7–18; MATTHEW 5:16 Hollywood musicals during the 1950s and 1960s were popular, with Audrey Hepburn, Natalie Wood, and Deborah Kerr delivering compelling performances. Their singing was a significant part of their appeal. Marni Nixon dubbed the voices for these leading ladies, but for a long time went uncredited for her vital contribution. Within the body of … [Read more…]
EPHESIANS 2:19–3:11 According to Henri Nouwen, a “community” is the place where the person you least want to live with always lives. We frequently develop clubs or cliques rather than communities when we surround ourselves with the people we would most like to live with. A club may be formed by anybody; a community requires … [Read more…]
PHILIPPIANS 3:1–11 Growing up, my parents raised us to be “good people” by obeying them, telling the truth, succeeding in school and work, and attending church, including Easter and Christmas. This definition is familiar to many people, regardless of culture. Paul, a devout first-century Jew, was a true good person, born into the “right” family, educated, … [Read more…]
PSALM 37:1–6, 23–27 For forty years, John F. Burns covered international news for The New York Times. In a post-retirement piece from 2015, Burns quoted a close friend and fellow journalist who was terminally ill with cancer. His colleague said, “Never forget, it is not how far you have travelled; it is what you have brought back.” … [Read more…]
JOHN 14:15–26 An old woman in an elderly home did not say anything or ask for anything. She appeared to be doing little more than rocking in her rickety chair. One young nurse used to frequently visit her room during her breaks because she did not have many visitors. She just pulled up another chair … [Read more…]
1 JOHN 1:1-10; PSALM 119:176 A friend of mine occasionally surprises his family as he comes in after work. He would yell, “You are forgiven!” as he entered through the front door. It was not that he needed to forgive family members for wrongdoing. He was telling them that even though they had probably sinned during … [Read more…]
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