Romans 15:13 (The Message) Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope. Reflection: On December 3, 2004 my dad celebrated his eighty-seventh birthday by having lunch with a friend. While eating, he choked. Later his concerned friend called me to report the incident. I responded that my brother would be coming that evening to spend the night with him to celebrate. When Tom arrived, Dad was experiencing a great deal of physical difficulty. [...]

Scripture:  Romans 8:38–39 (Common English Bible Translation) 38 I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers 39 or height or depth, or any other thing that is created. Reflection: Separation. Since mid-March, separation has become the normal in our world. The Covid-19 virus has separated us from church, from jobs, from family and friends, from all the activities we take for granted every day. Simple things like dinner at a restaurant, a trip to the museum or the [...]

1 Kings 19:11-13 11 He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his [...]

1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 24-26 12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 24 But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the [...]

Genesis 3:6-7 (NIV) 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Reflection: We all know this passage from Genesis. The point at which Adam and Eve changed the world forever. We have heard [...]

Romans 12:9-21 (CEB) 9 Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good. 10 Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other. 11 Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord! 12 Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you’re in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home. 14 Bless people who harass you—bless and don’t curse them. 15 Be happy [...]

Matthew 7:7-8 (KJV) 7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Reflection: Five years ago, I received the call no one ever wants to receive from my mom. My dad had collapsed at work and was being rushed to the hospital. My wife and I had just spent the day before celebrating the birth of our niece with my sister and brother-in-law and parents, who [...]