Prepared for Lightning
We never saw it coming. It was a beautiful summer day near Chetek, WI, so as we entered the restaurant, we asked the server if we could sit out on the deck, close to the lake. Miles away, across Lake Chetek, and far beyond the town of Chetek, we could see the clouds....
In the Blink of an Eye
On June 20, 2007, I was working a trade show in Dallas with a good friend. We are both big baseball fans, so we decided at the last minute to buy tickets to the Rangers game. We knew before purchasing our tickets that the game could be historically significant, and we...
The End of the World?
"Dad, come quickly; you have to see outside!” My daughter yelled breathlessly from the front door. I said, “What’s up honey? What’s going on outside?” With great exuberance she shouted, “The sky is on fire!” “What? The sky is on fire?” I wondered as I made my way to...
It’s Time to Repent
The Advent season isn’t Christmas, however much we forget that. Christmas causes us to look back in awe and wonder at the greatness of our Lord, who made himself nothing. But the Advent season looks ahead to the fact that the manger baby is coming back—this time as a...
Christmas Heartbreak
On Christmas Eve 2019, a new friend of mine had a medical emergency and was rushed to the hospital. I was in shock. I cried, I prayed, I felt helpless, even though she is a believer. My heart broke for her family and friends. My heart broke for my loss at work, that...
Restored Creation
What’s your perspective? Observing our globe and its inhabitants, it takes no imagination to be gripped and made despondent by the obvious flaws, constant crises, and human horrors. Living with an outlook of hopefulness and even anticipation is a rare thing. Yet for...
When He Shall Come
I have always loved the hymn When He Shall Come by Almeda J. Pearce. I love it in part because it has a great crescendo in the middle of each verse which resolves into a finale that sounds as if there is more coming. And there is! When He shall come resplendent in...
While We Wait for His Return…
Is it difficult for you to wait? We’ve been waiting with the whole world this year: waiting for the end of the virus; waiting and hoping we won’t get the virus; waiting to get back to work, to school, to see loved ones; waiting to be released from restrictions. Some...
The Depth and Breadth of Grace
God changed the course of our lives just three weeks after we began attending Hillside Lutheran Brethren Church in Succasunna, New Jersey. Nathanael and Carrie S. came to present the work God was doing in and through their lives in Chad, Africa. Since I had sensed...
A Spoiled People?
I was recently asked the same question by two people I love. One is a follower of Jesus and the other I would categorize as an agnostic. But the question on both of their minds was this: “Why are so many Christians spoiled?” It is important for us to hear this...
What is the Welcome Center?
The Welcome Center, located in N’Djamena Chad, is so much more than a guest house and conference facility. I could fill pages and pages with what goes on at this station, but here are three of the reasons that this place is such a blessing: First, the Welcome Center...
Knowing God
My first job was working at a grocery store. I carried out groceries, stocked shelves, unloaded trucks. It was the perfect job for a sixteen-year-old boy. But the thing I want you to know about my first job is that I didn’t apply for it. I didn’t turn in a resumé or...
Ancient Israel, the Law, and Us
Two Distinguishing Marks of Ancient Israel By many accounts, ancient Israel was just like all its near eastern neighbors. Their language had similar origins and their cultural practices looked, in many ways, identical. Yet by two distinguishing marks, ancient Israel...
Honor and Submit?
Aren’t you thankful for the government? …Awkward silence… Anyone?... Well then… before we get too uncomfortable, let me place that question in context. The sad thing is, it is a valid question, but one we probably have had trouble answering positively in recent years....
Your Truest Identity
Who are you? In our time (in the North America) there seems to be no shortage of answers one can give in response to this question. For example: “I am a cisgender African-American male married father of two who does financial analysis for Goldman Sachs; I root for the...