Universal Family

I've been on a quest to live--and write about--loving God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. Yesterday I sent to my editor friend a revised section on strength. She discovered weaknesses in it. It didn't take long for me to realize (this is a pattern) that she had uncovered a fresh, hungry need for my growth. After sleeping on the problem, I woke up with a breakthrough. Of course it takes longer to form the habit and acquire the virtue. But here is an indication of what I've begun to form my habit around.

The faith of a little child not only enables us to join the kingdom family of God. It also continues to guide us as we progress. Jesus's teachings and interactions on this theme are each marked by a wonderful simplicity. And these teachings in their variety touch on several concepts that are part of the whole truth of faith.

A 21-year-old computer whiz liked the concept of the wonderfulness within but not the concept of the spirit of God within. He finds God through Edmund Husserl's phenomenological philosophy of religious experience. 

After acknowledging the failure of an experiment in the last class meeting (falling across the finish line), I summarize a five-week class, "The Journey from Easter to Pentecost." Then I distinguish garden-variety spiritual experience from the taste-and-see variety.

In this class, I check people's driver's licence to make sure that everyone is over 75. Jesus called Lazarus to LIFE: "Lazarus, come forth!" He's calling you to share his original message, "[Your name], come forth!"  

Here's a six-step process for cooperating with divine transformation in recycling that which is unbeautiful in us.

"Happy mourning" sounds like a paradox. Let's probe: mourning for past, present, future, for self and others, extreme affliction and daily sensitivity and responsiveness to human need.

Jesus is the model for leaders who make provision for their mission to continue after their death.

When Jesus entered into Jerusalem for the last time, he both communicated that he was on a mission of peace and was also militant in some of his words and deeds. How is one to make sense of this combination?

In response to a prayer request from a Ukrainian friend, I reflect on Jesus' willingness to lay down his life, his command that his followers be willing to do the same--and how we can ascend to that height. I include a couple of personal stories.

After skirmishes with some religious leaders, Jesus pre-empted an attack that was brewing in Capernaum.  From the crisis that broke open there come lessons for leaders and team-members today. 

John 6 tells the pivotal story of how the skirmishes between Jesus and his enemies became a full-blown crisis. 

As the movement that Jesus led became strong, some religious leaders became defensive and hostile. Before their opposition reached the level of a crisis, there were some early skirmishes. Here we look at three of them to observe more of Jesus' qualities as a leader.

Jesus' character was strong, well-balanced, and centered in God. How did this center shape the kind of balance that he developed?

God chose Abraham, called Moses and some of the prophets, and sent Jesus. This suggests that it might be interesting to ask in some human situations how God may already have made--or be making--provision for leadership? In what ways can we see that God does not monopolize power and is not domineering?

In "Loving Jesus More," Phil Ryken tells the story of a little girl who told her minister that she didn't love Jesus. He asked her to repeat as often as possible, "Jesus loves me. Jesus loves me." I invite you to follow the path that she took or to creatively adapt it to your own spiritual path.    

When an athlete or a team is doing poorly, it is common to say that they are struggling. But struggle is part of life on all levels. Here's how to do it beautifully.

This is a dialogue with Evan, the evangelist; Syd, the scientist; Sophia, the philosopher; mature Miguel; Nate, the nature-lover; Alicia, the artist; and Abe, the activist. 

Self-respect, or the lack of it, can be based on superficial things. But true self-respect can be hard for us who evolved from animals. But when we engage ideals that are divine, spiritual, and eternal, it brings a new kind of respect. And the golden rule leads us to have a profound respect for every person we meet.

This is a passionate proclamation of discovery. It comes in the form of comments on two teachings, one about the supreme desire for righteousness and the other about how in liaison with God, nothing is impossible.