That was the question the scribes asked themselves when Jesus, marveling at the faith of the 4 friends lowering the paralytic through the roof, said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2:1-12. Remember our last chapter? “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with…

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Psalm 62:1. This morning in our Friday morning prayer group on Zoom, we talked about rest. The statement – to honor God and my human limitations through restful rhythms resonated with me. And again…rest can be a spiritual act – a truly human…

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.…

Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. Philippians 4:13 MSG. Last night I didn’t watch the debate between the Republican candidates. They cannot give what I truly need. I choose our Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit – to lead me.…

Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16. God has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.…

You have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Colossians 3:9-10. Last night before I fell asleep I was thinking about all of the people we read about in Scripture whose lives were changed abruptly…

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and he helps me. Psalm 28:7. As I sit here this morning in prayer for friends and loved ones in need, I can’t help but rejoice in God’s name…I Am. Present tense. What a truly wonderful name. I Am is with us…

I couldn’t help but be struck by the first sentence in our chapter: In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war…1 Chronicles 20:1. The plans of men throughout time. Think of all the plans we make both short and long-term. Just as in our chapter from so long ago, war strategies…

And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times. Psalm 12:6. Do you ever suffer from miscommunication? Do you suffer when someone tries to cover it up? That’s what happened in our chapter, 1 Chronicles 19. A king dies. Another king, David, sends a delegation…

This morning in our Friday Morning Prayer and Practices group on Zoom we talked about trust. It seemed our prayers gravitated toward that wonderful need experienced by each of us differently. To nurture the spirit of trust that is attached to God alone…our true self…children of God who loves us and cares for us. As…