Posts from June 2021 (Page 2)
Daily Devotions
But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’” vs. 38 Mark 4:35-38 Mark’s little story raises a big question for a literalist reader. How could Jesus sleep through a windstorm that was swamping the boat? Answers for our question could vary–perhaps he was an introvert and had gotten exhausted with all the extroverting involved in ministry, and had collapsed like…
Daily Devotions
We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours.” vss. 11-12 2 Corinthians 6:11-13 Even though Paul mounts a spirited defense of his ministry to the Corinthians he does not expect that their relationship will be destroyed, and there is no hint that he holds any animosity. He loves them very much and even though they’ve expressed some negativity about his teachings, it has…
Daily Devotions
We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way…” vss. 3-4 2 Corinthians 6:1-8a We can’t be sure about what was going on in Corinth–all we have is a couple of letters written by Paul to address his concerns. But from what he says we can be pretty confident that he was getting some blowback from his old friends.…
Daily Devotions
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.” vs. 1 Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32 As the psalmist looked at the history of his people, he saw a recurring theme. Whenever people got in any kind of trouble, whenever disaster threatened, they would cry out to the Lord and they would be delivered. That happened, the psalmist reasoned, because the Lord is good and “his steadfast love endures forever.” Because this is the nature…
Braaten Named Chair of the Board
Spirit in the Desert is welcoming retreaters again. Meet Jennifer Braaten. In January 2020, Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center, its Board of Directors, and staff, were still reeling from the sudden and unexpected death of its dynamic Executive Director, Richard Anderson, who had been leading the exciting growth of the Carefree, Arizona retreat center. The Board turned to Jennifer Braaten, Ed.D., of Sedona, Arizona to serve as Interim Executive Director with a portfolio of tasks including leading the search…
Daily Devotions
Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?” vss. 4-5 Job 38:4-11 The writer shows the Lord reverting to sarcasm in his response to Job’s laments, implying that Job didn’t know squat when it came to the creation of the earth. It’s an amusing section and points to the basic deficiency we humans have when it comes to…
Daily Devotions
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?’” vss. 1-2 Job 38:1-3 The book of Job represents our faith ancestors’ best effort to deal with the injustice of human suffering. It’s a powerful story, one that has been told and retold hundreds of times by succeeding generations. Again and again in the story Job’s friends tell him to acknowledge his guilt, something he refuses to do. For chapter after…
Daily Devotions
It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth;” vs. 31 Mark 4:30-33 Preachers have generally liked Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed. It’s relatively short and seemingly easy to understand–and it provides an opportunity for dragging out a seed or two and talking about how they grow. But still there are questions. Is Jesus talking about the Church? It’s unlikely since there was no Church when he…
Daily Devotions
He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.’” vss. 26-27 Mark 4:26-29 Even though we know that all people are in Christ, equipped with the Spirit of God, and designed to be the light of the world, most of the time we don’t quite know what is going on. And Jesus…
Daily Devotions
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” vs. 17 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 We don’t see many stories of Jesus in the writings of Paul, and there’s a reason for that. He had never known Jesus of Nazareth–he only knew the risen Christ and believed that in Christ all had died and all had been raised. In his words, in Christ there had been a new creation…
Daily Devotions
For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.” vs. 10 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 We find great comfort in the persistent theme of grace in our scriptures. Because we don’t live as we ought, we love hearing that we have forgiveness in Christ, and that our guilt has been taken from us. We’re less excited in hearing about the…
Daily Devotions
The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap…” vss. 12, 14 Psalm 92:12-15 This psalmist had been around the block a few times and knew that folks shouldn’t be discounted just because they had grown old. He believed that there was a connection between righteous living and longevity and that people could flourish and bear fruit even in their…