I just had my birthday this past month and though it is not such a big event as an adult, I remember looking forward to getting gifts as a kid. Whether it was a new toy or a game or….new socks (!?!). It was a joy to see them and consider how they would make my life more fun (well, except …
This title may sound strange and certainly not good advice for having a healthy 2-way conversation with a good friend, but this is great advice for interacting with one specific person in your life – you! The reality is that we spend more time listening to ourselves than anyone else in our lives. Unfortunately, we can often hear ourselves speaking …
Well, we’re in roughly Week 10 of this lockdown. I’d like to share about a few connected strands in my life lately. One is a simple Facebook post I shared on May 5th. I don’t tend to think deeply about stuff like that, nor do I agonize for any length of time. (Sometimes, Shoot, Ready, Aim doesn’t work well, though!). That morning, I had been …
Today is designated as the National Day of Prayer. Whatever the political or cultural stripe, we can all agree that these United States are standing in the need of prayer. From skyrocketing debt (national and personal) to disregard for life to vulgar entertainments to hyper-individualism – the list is endless – that which ails us will never be remedied without …
Hello GRC – The time is now… Whether needing help or wanting to help, this is for you. Let’s make certain we are aware of what GRC has to offer. You never know just how you will be called to help others. Here is the opportunity for us all to step forth boldly in unity as the Body of …
Hello GRC – There is no doubt that shared experiences bring people together or simply give people a reason for connection. A lot of that isn’t very deep: three co-workers who love a certain show, and look forward to chatting each other up the next day; the men in our GRC staff enjoying Monday morning banter about games during the football season …
In February Grace Redeemer Church did our second public reading of the entire Bible. As with last year, no doubt some people were reading parts of the Bible with which they were unfamiliar, or parts that they had not read in a long time, or parts with which they were familiar, but for which they now gained a fresh understanding …
This year’s Good Friday will be different; the pandemic demands it. And though our gathering as a body is restricted, I am thankful that three essential facts of our commemoration remain unchanged: Jesus Christ died, was buried and rose according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:1-4). The Friday of Holy Week focuses on that first fact and with it fast …
Hello GRC and friends! In my personal worship – personal time in the Bible and in prayer – the Psalms have never been more rich, more meaningful and relevant, more needed, than now! Over the years, I’ve sometimes wondered whether David and the other Psalm-writers were too paranoid about enemies and death/destruction. Or whether their sense that God was distant/absent …
If there were two things I knew about myself before this pandemic it was this: I’m an extrovert and I’m not a techie. These two things have become painfully clear to me since being quarantined over a week ago. Working from home with virtual instead of in-person meetings and learning new forms of technology have taken me way out of …