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Today begins Advent.  It starts the fourth Sunday before Christmas.  Advent means “coming.”  Today we officially begin the retelling of the great invasion, the day when General King-of-Kings, disguised as a helpless baby, came out of the hiding place Mary had prepared for him 9 months before.C.S. Lewis called the story of Christmas “The Invasion.”ContinueContinue reading “The celebration of the invasion begins”

I have always loved the hymn Now Thank We All Our God, which I have included below.Here is its story… In the 17th century, prolonged war caused a large influx of refugees intoEilenburg, Germany.  Disease, famine and death were rampant.  The only survivingpastor in the city, Martin Rinkart, performed about 50 funerals a day, includinghisContinueContinue reading “Give Thanks in All Circumstances … Testing the Limits!”

When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River a voice boomed from heaven telling him the 3 most important things a person can ever hear.1.  “You are my son… “2.  “Whom I love… “3.  “With you I am well pleased… “… Luke 3:22 I am a proponent of daily devotions, or daily quiet time, orContinueContinue reading “3 things we must hear”

John the Baptist heard the Lord perfectly.  Luke 3 describes the precision of John’s hearing.  “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar — when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene — during the high priesthood ofContinueContinue reading “Hearing perfectly”

Last week I spent the week in Wisconsin with about 100 pastors.  I listened and coached and asked questions.  About mid-week one pastor in the group I was leading asked:  “What’s the very best thing we can do for our congregations?”I immediately thought of the answer of Pastor John Piippo from Monroe, Michigan.”Abide in Christ.” ContinueContinue reading “What’s a pastor to do?”

     The third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after  his resurrection, he was standing on the beach of the Sea of Galilee at dawn.  The disciples had gone out to fish but had caught nothing.     Jesus called out from the shore, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, andContinueContinue reading “You don’t have to know what everything means”

He leadeth Me by Fr. Walter J. Ciszek, S.J., is gripping and inspiring.  It’s the story of how an American priest felt called to Russia at the early part of World War II and how he spent 23 agonizing years in Soviet prison and the labor camps of Siberia.  Though he felt utterly called byContinueContinue reading “Lessons from An American priest in Russia”

Is this true for you?You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evilContinueContinue reading “During Lent we pause to deeply look inside our heart”