I am certain that I never did grow in grace one-half so much anywhere as I have upon the bed of pain.
01225 – Growing in Grace
read more
01147 – The Deepest Level of Worship
The deepest level of worship is praising God in spite of the pain, thanking God during the trials, trusting Him when we're tempted to lose hope, and loving Him when He seems so distant and far away. At my lowest, God is my hope. At my darkest, God is my light. At my...
01146 – Transform Your Pain; Don’t Transmit It!
As you have often heard me say, if you do not transform your pain, you will most assuredly transmit it. Healthy religion on the practical level tells us what to do with our pain—because we will have pain. We can’t avoid it; it’s part of life. If we’re not...
01132 – Pain Lessens, but is Never Gone
It has been said, "time heals all wounds." I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind (protecting its sanity), covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.
01108 – “What God Has Promised”
God has not promised skies always blue, flower-strewn pathways all our lives through.God has not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow, peace without pain.But God has promised strength for the day, rest for the labor, light for the way;Grace for the trials,...
01026 – The Kiss of Jesus
When you feel miserable inside, look at the cross and you’ll know what is happening. Suffering, pain, humiliation and feelings of loneliness are nothing but the kiss of Jesus; a sign that you have come so close that he can kiss you. Never put on a long face. Suffering...
01011 – Children in Crisis
It is my experience that in modern times the care of children, particularly those in crisis, has been abandoned by the pastor. My concern for ministry to children has been growing for a long time. My first experience in clinical pastoral education was at a children’s...
01004 – “The Word became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us”
With the words “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” the community recognized the bond that had been established between them and God as revealed in Jesus. God did not stay distant from them, remote and isolated; rather, in Jesus, God chose to live with humanity...
00983 – Demand Freedom
We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.
00954 – Ultimately, There is Grace in Suffering
Ultimately there is tremendous grace in suffering—not because of the pain of the suffering itself but because suffering allows us to reorient ourselves in ways that we simply could never have done had life proceeded in an untroubled manner. Suffering gives us the...