
As we anticipate a God who breaks into our world, a God who draws us near and draws near to us, Redeemer’s congregation was encouraged to answer the question, “Where has God come near you?”
But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul. Deuteronomy 4: 29-31
In a recent reading by Christian author John Ortberg, I encountered a word that perplexed me. Ortberg mentioned inviting God into our lives. Wasn’t God already in my life? I have always believed and felt that God, omnipotent, and omnipresent, is always with me.
…….the kingdom of God is in your midst. Luke 17:21
God appears to us in unexpected ways during unsettling times. Even though I’ve enjoyed my solo walks, I’ve also enjoyed the accidental encounters that would never have happened if I hadn’t been solo-journeying on foot.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Galatians 5:22
Recently the daughter of a nursing facility resident shared with me her pain of not being able to visit her aging mother. In sharing my thoughts and feelings, I revisited my own concept of the Holy Trinity.
For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
In 1966 Japanese Christian Shusaku Endo wrote Silence, a novel about faith in the midst of adversity, influenced by his own experience of religious discrimination in Japan, racism in France, and a bout with tuberculosis.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God…to a virgin..The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” Luke 1:26-30