Dear Partner in Preaching, A question: Do you think the disciples were more frightened before the stilling of the storm or after? I realize the answer may seem obvious. After all, not only does Mark describe the “weather event” the disciples are experiencing out on the See of Galilee as “a great windstorm,” but he also tells us that the boat is so swamped with water that the disciples are frightened for their very lives. And yet consider: after Jesus stills the seas and wind with his voice, after the disciples recognize that even the elements of nature obey their teacher, and after all that was once terrifying has been banished, the...
Philippians 2:12-13
posted by DJL
Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Love always includes an...
Psalm 8 and Cosmic Awe
posted by DJL
It’s Monday, the start of a new week, and I can’t think of a better way to begin than with a moment or two of awe regarding this amazing world and universe we have been given to live in and care for. With that in mind, two videos about the majesty of the universe to start your week. The first displays the relative smallness of our world in relation to the cosmos and is a little mind blowing. The second is a marvelous short film by NASA. Both brought to mind for me verses from Psalm 8: “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of...