Category: Lent
Day 3 A Well-Time Help
Hebrews 4:16:, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (NLT) In 2009, Apple debuted its slogan, "There's an app for that" in TV ads to show off the multitude of apps ...
Day #2 – The Land of the Speaking
“They are not just idle words (dâbâr ) for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” (Deut. 32:47) I grew up mainly near Seattle where the landscape is green and lush (it is as wet there as they say it is). Our ministry began there ...
ASH WEDNESDAY
Today begins the forty-day journey of Lent. It is marked in days but lived in grace. Today is Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of the 40-day Lenten season leading up to Easter. If you are like me, I did not grow up observing the liturgical Church calendar. However, my spiritual journey has helped me ...
Can We Be Real?
We are just a little ways into Lent. I am surprised how quickly my resolve to live differently dissolves into my old and familiar patterns of living. Humph. I thought I was stronger, more capable than that. This is what makes Lent so valuable. Lent is a time of looking honestly at our lives; a ...
LENT: Stepping into Brokenness
Today Lent begins. Lent is my favorite season! Said. No one. Ever. But I caught myself at least considering it today. Lent gets a bad rap. Deprivation, somber, renunciation (okay, no one uses that word)…but these are probably come to mind when you think of Lent. Who signs up for that? Lent, however, is a ...
Holy Ground Under Our Feet
“The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” Mark 15:38 Two great columns flanked the doors leading into the Temple. But only the priests were permitted through these doors and only at the appropriate times. There was a thick veil that separated this place from all the rest. As we ...
An Embodied Faith
“Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. Isa. 1:17 (NLT) In Lent, with its emphasis on prayer, self-examination and repentance, people have, historically, chosen to fast during the season of Lent. Fasting is a spiritual discipline designed to help us better focus ...
Our Tidy Little Kingdoms
“Following Jesus closely messes up our tidy little kingdoms, and that does not always attract the masses. But at the same time, in following Jesus we receive a life far more abundant than anything in this world can offer. It is this abundant life that we are to demonstrate to others that it is worth ...
The Practice of Being Imperfect
“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.” Gal. 6:4-5 ™ Self-examination is one of ...
Reckless Wonder
“At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Matt. 27:16, 17 (NIV)[i] Barabbas’ first name was also Jesus, which means “savior.” So Pilate ...
Gail Johnsen 