I recently had a conversation with a long time friend, catching up with our individual lives over some months. While the general themes seem to stay the same, we both were in the midst of new relationships, a subject of considerable interest. As I talked about the thrill that I was feeling, the energy that…
Many years ago Rollo May examined a connection between obscenity and violence. In Power and Innocence, he argued that violence progresses through several other mediums before it erupts in physical force. One of these mediums is language. The disintegration of the meaning of words is a step on the pathway to violence. There is a…
“and forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors” Matthew 6:12 As We Also – It’s such a well-known phrase that we don’t really pay close attention to its implications. It just runs off our lips like drinking from a hose. But there is something very important here; important because it is right…
Jesus rarely talked about the intimate connection between himself and the Father. His teaching and discussions were focused much more on obedience, service, compassion, money and leadership. But occasionally we are allowed to glimpse this vital relationship that permeated his life. We see it in its darkest hour in the struggle in the Garden of…
Most of my life I have lived with the “not good enough” syndrome. It’s very motivating. When you think that you aren’t good enough, the usual reaction is to try harder. After all, everyone wants approval, especially from the ones who are most involved with us. So, when your parents or your spouse or your…
When it happened, I was caught completely off guard. I couldn’t believe that the old temptations, put aside long ago, were back, demanding attention. At first I was confused. Since I didn’t see it coming, I was unprepared. I felt like someone had just turned back the clock about three years. I cried out to…
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12 Debts – There are only two critical terms in a debt: who and what. Without those two terms, the debt means nothing. So, let’s ask the obvious questions. In the Lord’s Prayer, whom do I owe and what do I owe? Since…
Peace with God does not mean peace with the world. In fact, peace with God means emnity with the world. Peace with God is the status of our spiritual relationship. It is not a description of the condition of our lives. We should expect trails, turmoil, tragedy and death in the course of our journey. …
Someone has to pay. That is a cardinal rule of psycho-emotional development. In order for us to grow as healthy individuals, someone has to make an investment in us. When that investment is short changed, we ourselves are asked to take up the payment. It seems that the psychological makeup of each of us requires…
“Our bread, our daily bread, give us today.” Martin Luther’s translation of Matthew 6:11 Daily – I am indebted to Ernst Lohmeyer for his magnificent work The Lord’s Prayer. Much of his thought underscores our look at this model prayer. His untimely death robbed the world of a man of insight and scholarship. The book,…
