Life is busy. The busyness runs over into our marriage, our parenting, and our friendships. Busyness has left our souls parched and our hearts empty. Think back over this past week of how many times you said to someone or to yourself, “I don’t have enough time” or “I wish I had time.” Lack of time […]
Wrestled With Angels | Asking the Right Question
When I was in my early-20’s I bought a used Mitsubishi Eclipse. It was the first car I bought without any adult supervision. It was a dark green sports car with a five-speed transmission. A beautiful car. Nice ride for a young man. A few months into the purchase while going down the interstate at […]
Wrestled With Angels | A Shattered World (Response to Shooting at Emanuel AME Church)
Our world is shattered. The brokenness revealing itself on a Wednesday night during a prayer meeting in Charleston, South Carolina. Nine of God’s faithful murdered in the sanctuary of the Lord. A man with a self-assigned operation of animosity walks into Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and displaces a haven of hope with a message […]
Wrestled With Angels | Easter: The End Becomes the Beginning
A few summer’s ago, we were eating yogurt at a local shop and my youngest son’s kindergarten teacher comes strolling in the door. We all had to do a double-take. This sweet teacher of kindergarteners was wearing leather chaps and carrying a motorcycle helmet. She and her husband were out enjoying a ride in the […]
Wrestled With Angels | We Have a Friend in Jesus (Good Friday Meditation)
If you are lonely and dejected, you have a friend in Jesus. On this day, the day we call good, we discover we have a friend in Jesus.
Wrestled With Angels | Palm Sunday: Beyond Our Expectations
I once knew a guy. A guy who always made excuses for not coming to worship. His biggest excuse was that it interfered with his fishing. So, I decided to start praying for him. I prayed, “Lord, make his fishing trips horrible. If he catches anything, let it be so small that there is no […]
Wrestled With Angels | My Father Owns the Mountain
I heard a story of two teens who arrived at summer camp at the same time. They were forced to share bunks. One girl was a brat who introduced herself by saying, “Hey, there. I come here every summer because my daddy owns part of this property. Do you see that speedboat on the lake? […]
Wrestled With Angels | The Making of Beautiful Things (Ash Wednesday)
Ashes are seen by many as the end. But in the church we see them as the beginning. They begin a season that moves us through reflection and repentance into joy and resurrection.
Wrestled With Angels | I Love Our People
History was made in Taylor County, Georgia during the high school prom of 2002. For the first time in thirty years the prom would be racially integrated. For over three decades this South Georgia town had held two proms, one white and one black. The school was approximately half white and half black, and the […]
Wrestled With Angels | I Love Our Mission
Male birds develop sophisticated ways to attract mates. They build up more and more “attractors.” These attractors mean more weight, more elaborate color, more refinements to the feathers, until they can no longer fly or become easy prey for predators. The elaborate dance, bright colors, and beautiful feathers are impressive in attracting a mate but […]