"Men never sin more grievously than when they act from religious motives." (Blaise Pascal)

God, May your people who call ourselves by your Son's name begin to live in the actual ways and teachings of Jesus today. May we remember that Jesus taught us to lay down our lives for the sake of others, to never live for ourselves and our own advancement, but to pour out our lives […]

"A test: try living the life of a good person and see how it suits you. Be the one happy with her fate, rejoicing in his acts of justice, and bent on deeds of kindness." (Marcus Aurelius, 121-180)

My Dad sent me this one-phrase text yesterday: "Truth forever on the scaffold*, wrong forever on the throne." He said it was from an old hymn. I say, no Dad ... This is prophetic. No Dad ... This is Kingdom-of-God-kind-of-true. Truth executed publicly. Wrong sitting proudly on the throne. Amen. (*A scaffold is a raised […]

A few encouraging words on prayer this morning from my man Frederick Bruner: "... prayer is simply faith breathing." "So how does the church find the abilty she needs to help the world? By believing God enough to say her prayers." "Prayerlessness is powerlessness." "Jesus' equations and measurements are gracious: 'If you have just a […]

What if following Jesus is not about trying, but rather, all about trusting? What might life look like if this were true? I believe it would look like grace, and peace, and quiet confidence, and deep rest. Sometimes, though, trying is easier than trusting. Trying gives us something to do, which makes us feel assured […]