Tag: Fear
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On Work and Fear: A Poem
fearless and fearful the day’s work lies before unsullied, shapeless, a void of possibilities. what will come of the brow’s sweat, what will the earth produce? and will it be today? some plunge ahead unafraid–or is it unawake– automatons unfeeling, cold as stone. is it for self-deception or for confidence’s sake can a heart be […]
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On Crumbling Foundations and Cornerstones
Have you ever noticed that rocks and stones play a fairly big role in the bible? What was God calling water out of in the desert as the Hebrew children wandered around? What did the preferred method of execution consist of in the books of the Law? Take the building of the temple, for instance. […]
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Taking God at His Word
Jesus’ word is not an answer to human questions and problems; it is the answer of God to the question of God to man. His word is essentially determined not from below but from above. It is not a solution but a redemption. -Bonhoeffer Have you ever noticed that Jesus seemed to ignore question after […]
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Kiss the Son: Jesus the Wrathful…?
A few Wednesdays ago, a friend of mine asked me to share with our group about praying through the psalms. This is something that believers have been doing for centuries and I have personally found it very helpful in nourishing my spiritual life day by day. And so I shared with my friends how I […]
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Fear Not. Our God is a Consuming Fire
One of the most encouraging verses in the entire bible is at the beginning of the twelfth chapter of Hebrews. We have just seen chapter eleven’s impressive array of those who have gone before us, from Rahab the prostitute to Abraham the father of many nations. We all know the beginning of chapter twelve as […]
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Beware of One Another
We have admitted to God, to ourselves and to another person the exact nature of our wrongs. This is Step Five of the Twelve Steps for those unfamiliar with the world and language of recovery. The first three steps are about coming to terms with the world as it really is (I am out of […]
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The Gospel According to Arcade Fire
It might be a bit too revealing to admit, but one of the proudest moments of my life had to be a few weeks ago when a favorite band of mine called Arcade Fire won this year’s Grammy for best album. Personally, I have been a fan of this band since their last album, Neon […]
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Watch for Falling Leaves
The most audacious despiser of God is most easily disturbed, trembling at the sound of a falling leaf. -John Calvin Self-made-man. Autonomous individuals. Man liberated from the oppressive rule of God. The last century was supposed to be our graduation from dependence upon God to reliance upon nobody but our strong selves. Man, after centuries […]
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Two Pictures of God
Everything I ever needed to know I learned from the genius we know as Monty Python. How to decipher a live parrot from a dead parrot? Done. How to deal with a cheese shop that has no cheese? Done. What the ministry of “Silly Walks” might look like? Done. They taught me everything I know, […]