Like so many of the Psalms, Psalm 95 starts with a call to praise. “Sing for joy… shout aloud… come with thanksgiving… extol him with music and song.” The way to come into God’s presence is with praise. The Psalmist is telling us to pull out all the stops.
Read MoreWe have officially entered into Epiphany, the celebration of the magi – wisemen – coming to see the newborn king. Matthew tells us that “They went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.” (Matt 2:9)
Read MoreI love the story of Simeon. He was a man of prayer and was in the Temple when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple. They had brought the 40-day-old Jesus to offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving to God - two doves. Luke writes,
Read More“In the beginning, the Word was with God and the Word was God. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1, 4-5)
This passage is filled with grandeur and hope. John reflects on Jesus as the all-powerful one who has made the world.
Read MoreDr. Wolfgang Tschacher, researcher at University of Bern, experimented with song and its effects on people. He observed what many had before him. When choirs intentionally harmonize their voices, they also synchronize their breathing. That makes sense. But, unintentionally, their heart rates synchronize and begin to beat as one.
Read MoreGod steps onto the scene in big ways, miraculous ways, when He is doing something new. Israel’s history is filled with God breaking in to redeem his people. Miraculous births are an integral part of that history. Sarah and Abraham had long hoped for a child who would take care of them in their age and shoulder the responsibilities of leading an extended family.
Read MoreIsaiah contains four familiar prophecies of Jesus in what have become known as the Servant Songs (Isaiah 42:1–4, Isaiah 49:1–6, Isaiah 50:4–9, and Isaiah 52:13–53:12). They describe a mysterious “Servant of the Lord” tasked with bringing justice, restoration, and salvation
Read MoreKing David wrote a song to celebrate the Israelites bringing the Arc of the Covenant to Jerusalem for the first time. It was a huge event that included lots of music, Levites and Priests, sacrifices, and feasting. The song of David capped it all off. (I Chronicles 16:7-36) The song is beautiful as it incorporates praise, adoration, and thanksgiving. Two parts of the song stick out
Read MoreMaking good decisions in life requires that we see clearly. We need to see clearly the people in our lives, the teachings we hear, and the resolution of problems within family and community members. I encourage you to read three important passages within which Jesus gives
Read MoreElie Wiesel was a survivor of an Auschwitz concentration camp. He lived through and witnessed horrors too terrible to comprehend. In one of his books he wrote, "The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference." The hatred of the Jews was terrible, but worse was the indifference that permitted the atrocities to happen. Indifference allows hate to win over love.
Read More