As a little girl, when I wanted to talk to my Dad while he was at work, I would call his office. Not the office number plus an extension. Not his direct number. And certainly not his cell phone. Those didn’t exist yet. I would call the one main Maranatha Construction Company phone number. But … Continue reading The Best Kind of Access
A meditation on John 10:1-5 The prophet Isaiah spoke about a time without hunger or thirst, but that isn’t the case today. The little one’s tummy is empty in these pre-dawn hours. She opens her sleepy eyes to gauge the time. The heavens unfold above her, the moon and the stars come in to focus; … Continue reading His Voice
“…another book was opened, which is the Book Of Life…” Revelation 20:12 Yahweh’s Book Of Life is not a written ledger. His accounting isn’t comprised of columns for debits and columns for credits. There is no sum total for “Balance Paid So Far” or “Balance Still Owed.” Which isn’t good news for those of us … Continue reading Yahweh’s Book Of Life
Since like forever. That’s how long I’ve been reading the Bible. The idea that the Bible has different literary styles and that narratives have well crafted elements like setting, plot, and character is familiar territory. So as Tim Mackie and Jon Collins at The Bible Project were releasing their podcast series on “How To Read … Continue reading Literary Design Pattern: Seek, Take, Do
Daniel, do not be afraid.
From your window, what is it you see?
Nations and kingdoms
self-centered and self-righteous;
their citizens and communities
expendable casualties and refugees?
It is only for a time. Continue reading I AM, So Do Not Be Afraid
Bon Jovi, in the 1980s, was classified as a rock and roll band, but in 2000 with the release of “It’s My Life” the band appealed to a younger audience and landed on the top 40 pop charts. The song became an anthem of sorts. Bon Jovi would later say of the lyrics, “I thought … Continue reading To Yield & To Give
As an activist, promises were not something he could offer. Sure, he could encourage students to hold sit-ins with the hope of reversing the inequalities. He could embolden many to march with the longing of rebalanced justice scales. He could even invite the young and old, black and white, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics … Continue reading “This Is Our Hope”
“What else is on your phone?” asks my nephew Solger. I’d been showing him pictures of the fish we caught earlier in the day, but after about 30 seconds, he’s ready to move on. He swipes through the screens and lasers in on my handful of games. The first game he clicks doesn’t open. It’s … Continue reading Skip The Stars, Paint The Shark
Construction companies are generally named like law firms. Saunders Construction. Hensel Phelps Construction. HLCC Construction. But I didn’t know that as a little girl. My dad had bucked the trend and instead of naming his company something like Penner Construction, he opted for Maranatha Construction (translated for me as a child as “Lord come quickly”). … Continue reading Maranatha Prayer
He lived in a city once called “the perfection of beauty” (1). Built on a high ridge, it had beautiful buildings, palaces, towers, and a magnificent house of worship. “The joy of the whole earth” was how his friends and neighbors referred to it. But the days of beauty and joy are now just memories. … Continue reading “Let There Be Light” – Lament and Hope
Lord, Come Quickly 