Tag Archives: Worship

Has Your Church Ever Closed?

Right now I am writing my second novel entitled “The Hungry Pit” dealing with one person’s experience with losing the church where her faith took root.  I am exploring the connection established at Baptism, the rebellious teenage years, the visit … Continue reading

Posted in Church, Conflict, Loss | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Why Attend Church With the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Many people are turned off by church people and so don’t attend.  Although I attend, my feelings run in different directions because of my experiences: a.   Church people have been unusually nice to me, visiting me in the hospital, … Continue reading

Posted in Acceptance, Adaptability, Belief, Bible, Choices, Christ, Church, Commitment, Communion, Despair, Diversity, Eternal Life, Faithfulness, Feelings, God, Grace, Healing, Identity, Music, Peer Pressure, Perfectionism, Perseverance, Persistence, Perspective, Praise, Reconciliation, relationships, Religion, Social Pressure, Spirituality, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Not Made by Human Hands

With so much gorgeous color all around in Spring it is natural to stop and notice it.  In fact men and women have so admired flowers and other parts of nature they have made duplicates of them.  I remember seeing … Continue reading

Posted in Aging, Appreciation, Art, Balance, Belief, Creation, Depression, Enjoyment, Fear, Feelings, Gifts, God, Grace, Letting Go, Life, Nature, Old Age, Perseverance, Photography, Reality, Seasons, Spring, Time, Trust, Worry, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cleaning Up The Place of Worship

What’s happening:  It’s now Monday.  He is walking back to Jerusalem, this time traveling the few miles on foot.  No crowds are waiting, so he makes His way inside the city to the Temple.  The sprawling edifice is still under construction, … Continue reading

Posted in Addiction, Belief, Bible, Christ, Courage, Holy Week, Humanity, Love of Money, Materialism, Meditation, Money, Passion, Prayer, Priorities, relationships, Religion, Repentance, Spirituality, Values, Word of God, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Cultural Differences

Part of a daily devotional series at Words of Hope (https://woh.org/word/devotionals/2013/03/16) looking at how people in the Bible handled tough situations: Read Matthew 8:5-13 What made this man think that a Jewish rabbi—reported to have miraculous powers—would help him? He … Continue reading

Posted in Acceptance, Adaptability, Appearance, Christ, Culture, Diversity, Ethnicity, Faith, Focus, Foolishness, God, Grace, Healing, Health, Humanity, Identity, Perspective, Politics, Principles, Priorities, Race, relationships, Religion, Spirituality, Unity | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Secrets of Thankfulness

Lessons I Have Learned:  A number of years ago, I either heard or came upon this thought that I could expand giving thanks beyond one Thursday a year to all year long.   This idea led me to the idea that … Continue reading

Posted in Accomplishment, Contentment, Enjoyment, Feelings, Focus, Happiness, Life, Perspective, Pleasure, Priorities, Quiet Time, relationships, Thankfulness, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

I Will Awake the Dawn

As I read Psalm 57 today, I recognized this line from a song we sing at church:   “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.  Let your glory be over all the earth.” (Psalm 57:5 NRSV).  It’s a song that gets … Continue reading

Posted in Bondage, Claustrophobia, Courage, Eternity, Faith, Faithfulness, Fear, Grief, Habitual Sin, Meditation, Night, Perseverance, Perspective, Praise, Prayer, Quiet Time, Sleeplessness, Stress, Suffering, Trust, Uncategorized, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Lord’s Compassion Is Over All that He Has Made

In these days of violence in the Middle East over spiritual insults and rancorous, negative political campaigning in the U.S., I invite the reader to contemplate this biblical statement about God 8   The Lord is gracious and merciful,           slow to anger … Continue reading

Posted in Country, Creation, Eternity, Faith, Fear, Forgiveness, Heaven, Laughter, love, mercy, Patriotism, Peace, Perspective, Politics, Praise, Quiet Time, relationships, Religion, Repentance, Stress, Trust, Wisdom, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Who In the Skies Can Be Compared to the Lord

“For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD,”  (Psalm 89:6 NRSV) Recently, my wife and I took vacation in Washington State to visit her son and his girl … Continue reading

Posted in Creation, Eternity, Faith, Faithfulness, Fear, Heaven, Meditation, Nature, Perspective, Praise, Prayer, Quiet Time, Religion, Repentance, Salvation, Trust, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The gods of the peoples are idols

For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.  (Psalm 96:5 NRSV) What a world of truth this little verse contains.  In the first reference to higher power, the writer uses the word elohim, … Continue reading

Posted in Creation, Eternity, Faithfulness, Guidance, Heaven, Love of Money, Materialism, Meditation, Nature, Night, Perseverance, Politics, Praise, Prayer, Quiet Time, relationships, Religion, Salvation, Stress, Trust, Weather, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment