Tag: Lenten Journey
A Meal Like No Other
We are in the middle of Holy Week, the last week of our Lenten journey. Tomorrow many of us will be commemorating the Holy Meal that has transformed the world. It was and is truly a meal like no other. None of the Gospels share whether this was the first or third Passover Jesus and… Continue Reading A Meal Like No Other
Never a Chance Meeting
Give me Jesus, give me Jesus. You can have this whole world, give me Jesus.1 This is a song I often sing when I am feeling troubled, anxious, or worried. But I know there was a time before our Savior came to journey with us. What did people who struggled back then sing about? When… Continue Reading Never a Chance Meeting
Waiting on the Lord
During this season of Lent, I want to continue to wrestle with some of the valleys we experience as we retell Jesus’ journey for our salvation. I will be reflecting on the Lukan version (Chapter 8) of the healing of The Hemorrhaging Woman and the Raising of Jairus’ Daughter. These two miracles were twelve years… Continue Reading Waiting on the Lord
Gone Too Soon
During this season of Lent, I want to invite us to continue to spend time in those Scriptures which require us to spend time in the valleys of our lives. For me, one of these passages is the story of Lazarus’ resurrection. Like the story of the Good Samaritan, we want to rush to that… Continue Reading Gone Too Soon
How Can I Keep From Singing?
The pandemic has changed the ways we live our lives. COVID updates are part of the daily newsfeed with positivity rates, hospitalizations and sadly death rates presented. Trips to stores and hospitals have encouraged or required us to wear a mask, maintain social distancing and check our temperatures on a regular basis. Delivery companies like… Continue Reading How Can I Keep From Singing?
The Jericho Journey
Today begins our 2022 Lenten journey. Over the next several weeks we will reflect upon what Jesus did for our salvation and redemption. There are Gospel passages that resonate with us. Some are well known by their titles, like The Woman at the Well (John 4), Jairus’ Daughter (Mark 8), The Paralyzed Man (Luke 5)… Continue Reading The Jericho Journey
Easter is Coming
We are about to relive the most anguishing moments in our Savior’s life. Maundy Thursday is still the night that I wish hadn’t occurred. The celebration of that particular Seder meal had to be bittersweet for Jesus and the disciples. This is the night that Hebrews celebrated each year, commemorating the promise that God made… Continue Reading Easter is Coming
More Puzzle Pieces
The first time I came to Grand Rapids was nearly twenty years ago. At the time I was on the faculty at Wayne State University Medical School. I was taking Hebrew so I could read some of the Old Testament verses in their original language. That’s when I heard about the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit… Continue Reading More Puzzle Pieces
The First Day
Today begins our Lenten journey of 2021. This year the time we spend in the valley which signifies this part of our Savior’s journey seems an extension of how we have spent most of the last year. And yet, these next 40 days (46 if we include Sundays) are set aside for us to reflect… Continue Reading The First Day
Paczkis
When Terrance and I first arrived in Michigan, it was Summer. We moved to the state from Iowa and were looking forward to watching the July 4th fireworks. At the time, we didn’t know that Detroit scheduled the annual display for late June, rather than on Independence Day. As we got to know the city,… Continue Reading Paczkis