Tag Archives: conversion

Book Study: Road to Character Part II

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Our book study of Road to Character by David Brooks continues…today we briefly cover chapters 3, 4, and 5. The main subjects of these chapters Dwight Eisenhower, Dorothy Day, and George Marshall – two Army Generals and human rights activist. The character content deals with “self-conquest”, “struggle”, and “self-mastery.” Again, as I mentioned in my previous overview, Brooks makes many insightful comments and brings in many thoughtful comparisons throughout these chapters. I can only hope to hit the highlights; and I am enjoying the book very much…maybe too much, which is why I am hopelessly slipping behind schedule. But, technically, it’s still July! Continue reading →

A clear vision of God’s grace

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Fourth Sunday in Lent (John 9:1-41)  3/30/2014

I give thanks this morning for the warmer weather of this weekend and the days ahead, albeit with a bit of rain, but the thermometer is heading in the right direction at least! My wife and I have taken up a Lenten discipline of starting our mornings with a two mile walk and I must admit that this discipline has been sorely tested this past week as the early morning temperatures have been about 18 degrees! But I suppose I should not be surprised, as this is the character of March, a month best described as days of turbulence and turmoil in the weather department. We receive a sunny and pleasant afternoon that tempts us with a foretaste of the warmer spring days ahead; followed by 18 degree mornings that send us scrambling for our wool hats and insulated gloves. Yes, this is the time of year that coat closets contain the full array of our outerwear…and today, every type of waterproof boot or shoe! And we are not alone, the other morning I spotted a beautiful cardinal in the tree outside of my kitchen window; he was trying his best to impress a female a few branches away (his mind on the spring nesting season, no doubt) while at the same time he was bracing himself against the wintry breezes of the early morning. Perhaps March was well designed to shepherd us through the first half of our Lenten season. Today marks the halfway point of our Lenten journey…”half time” you might say. And “March Madness” should not be reserved for the exclusive use of the NCAA basketball tournament! Sure, the tournament is full of excitement, upsets, and surprises, but for real moments of turbulence and surprising revelations we must turn our attention to this morning’s Gospel. Continue reading →

“If I only had a holy Lent – finding God in the sacred wilderness”

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Lent I (Luke 4:1-13)  02/17/2013

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A few weeks ago Carol and I went to see the movie, Lincoln. As we sat in our seats waiting for the movie to begin, we of course were required to watch several minutes of previews of coming attractions. I often use the time before the movie starts to settle into my seat, turn off my phone, and generally prepare to enjoy the movie rather than watch the previews; but in this instance the preview of the coming movie, “Oz, The Great and Powerful” really caught my attention. The possibilities of creating the magical world of Oz with all the technology that Hollywood has available today is startling…and the preview also reminded me of watching the popular movie “The Wizard of Oz,” filmed in the late 1930’s. The characters of that classic movie are familiar to many of us; and their hopes and dreams are probably familiar to us as well. The scarecrow was certain he would have a better life, “if he only had a brain.” Dorothy apparently agreed with the scarecrow, singing along, “Why, with all the thoughts you’ll be thinkin’, you could be another Lincoln, if you only had a brain.” (that was not in the Lincoln movie, by the way) The Tinman’s life would be just fine, “if he only had a heart.” And the cowardly lion, well, he would be king of the forest “if he only had the nerve.” The lion is quite sure that if he was given some nerve he would be “as brave as a blizzard;” and we all know something about blizzards, don’t we? I can relate to the small group of dreamers on the Yellow Brick Road; in fact, just a week ago I remember having a few wishes of my own: if I only had a big snow blower; if I only had a truck with a plow; if I only had a ticket to some place warm and sunny. The desire to wish for that one powerful, yet elusive thing in our life can be very tempting indeed; the hope that everything will be just right if we only had that next big thing. Continue reading →

“Open my eyes and my heart”

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Fourth Sunday in Lent (John 9:1-41)  4/3/2011

“Where’s the beef?!” Nearly 30 years ago a trio of burger-loving ladies made this phrase very popular as they appeared in a number of Wendy’s restaurant advertisements. For Wendy’s restaurants – this phrase meant to highlight the small burgers they claimed that their competitors offered, but soon the phrase was incorporated into the political debates of that year’s Presidential campaigns. In the context of the debates, “where’s the beef?” was a phrase that was transformed into a challenge to others – a challenge to defend their ideas and support the substance of their answers. The phrase was an effective tool to put one’s competitors under careful examination. Throughout our lives, we too have questions and we seek answers, but how can we examine and accept the answers we receive, especially if we seek those answers from God. Continue reading →

“Following Christ beyond our boundaries”

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Fifth Sunday of Easter YR C (Acts 11:1-18)  05-02-2010

Boundaries. The order of our lives is often maintained by boundaries. We create boundaries by establishing laws, drawing lines, and setting limitations. Much of my recent vacation was defined by various boundaries, beginning with my airline boarding pass, which told me I had a seat on the Southwest plane and the order in which I was to stand in line. There were lines for the boundaries of the baggage check line; lines for the roller coaster rides at the amusement park, and nearly every restaurant required that you place your name on a list so they could establish the boundaries of when you would eat and the table that was most appropriate for the size of your party. Boundaries followed me throughout my vacation…and as we were ending our vacation, standing in the very long baggage check line at the Tampa airport, an employee of Southwest airlines came forward to pass along some news about the boundaries of the baggage check line. She told us that it is not permitted to check bags prior to 4 hours in advance of your flight time. She then requested anyone whose flight was more than 4 hours from the current time to please leave the baggage check line. For those people, their time had not yet come…and the established boundaries did not permit their participation. Continue reading →