Deus Misereatur

It was an important, passing meeting. At the time I belonged to a Christian sect that was convinced only our tribe was being saved and redeemed by God. Some of the members of our teeny church came from the black neighborhood just up the road and had drawn me into a part of their communal life. On this day I was in that neighborhood helping with a community project when I met him; Old Mose (like Moses without the “s” on the end). That’s what they called him, and that’s how he introduced himself. Probably in his late eighties, wrinkled black skin and frail frame, yet genuine faith and love for Christ oozing from every pore. Here was a man who wasn’t of my theological tribe, and yet he had more faith in his little pinky than I had in my whole being. His gentleness toward me and confidence in God set me back on my sectarian heels. Though those few hours with Mose were over 30 years ago, I have never forgotten him, and have often given thanks to God for him. That chance meeting sent me on ...

Jesus told us, “ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you ” (John 15:16). In this confidence, then, we pray: Holy Father, you who are the benchmark, the high-water mark of all true fathering. We are grateful for our fathers, especially when their firm love and care reverberated harmoniously with the melody of your own fatherhood. Help us to rightly honor our fathers and their memories. For those fathers in our lives who missed the mark – or worse – grant them to find you a true Father in Jesus Christ; repair that which they scarred or marred or broke and heal the wounds. For the fathers in our fellowship we ask you to guide us by your fatherly hand that we will be – more and more – a noble and wholesome reflection of you to our children, whether they are still at home or out on their own. Lord God of Hosts, the whole earth is fil...

It's so simple. Almost too simple. It can be memorized without much sweat, as easily as the Pledge of Allegiance; and rattled off with just as much thoughtlessness. I'm talking about the Apostles' Creed. Yet its effortless simplicity can cause it's gravity to be completely overlooked. That's where the second edition of "Rooted: The Apostles' Creed" comes into play. Raymond Cannata, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New Orleans, and Joshua Reitano, pastor of New City Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, have compiled a handy and handsome guide through the Apostles' Creed in 214 paperback pages; a directory that takes the reader inwardly into healthy reflection and brings them out into hearty revelry! As the authors note, "good theology should lead to great doxology" (118), and that emphasis lingers just below the surface throughout the whole document. The authors tease out thirteen studies that walk readers through the Apostles' ...

“ O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure ” (Isaiah 25.1). On behalf of your Church throughout the world, for this congregation, and Village UMC, Wesley UMC, Calvary MBC and Fairview MBC, we pray. For those of your people who are suffering for righteousness sake, show yourself strong on their behalf. Those who have lost their way and exchanged your glory for their own rapaciousness or their own reputation, reclaim them. Those who are working and toiling, spending and being spent for your honor, fill up what is lacking and cause your work to prosper in their hands. Finally, for the Presbyterian Church in America, we pray that the righteousness, peace and joy of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13) would hover over our denomination, the honor Christ reign supreme and the fellowship of Christ flourish. Holy God, send forth your Gospel and your enlivening Spirit, so that Jews, Buddhists, Hindu...

When my wife and I traveled to Oregon last year, we went old school (sort of). We pulled out an actual paper map, examined the roadway from Oklahoma City to our destination, Detroit Lake State Park. We looked over topography, river-ways, elevations, city locations, etc. It was very helpful, both for the big picture, but also to give us way-points, and to allow us to "adapt-and-overcome" as unplanned things happened. But the map couldn't prepare us for all we experienced, the explosion of stark terrain differences, and so forth. It was a guide that put us on the right trail, but could not prepare us for the exigencies, nor smooth them out. Luke H. Davis, teacher of ethics and church history at Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis, and author of young adult fiction, has taken in hand to map out the good life and Christian ethics in his brand new 240-page softback "Tough Issues, True Hope: A Concise Journey through Christian Ethics". This handy little manuscr...

Most people I know have learned to pray from listening to others, in one way or the other. That's the value of a new 240-page hardback "Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans" edited by the prolific author, Robert Elmer. It is handy and pleasing to the eyes, and the print is easy to look at. This breviary is a worthy investment for one's own times of prayer, and suppliants will learn at the feet of some devotional doyens. "Piercing Heaven" draws from Puritan authors arising out of the 16th to 18th centuries. Anglican priests, nonconformists, congregationalists and others are gathered into these pages to lead the way to the throne of grace, where we may find grace to help in time of need. Many of the names will be known to most, with a few surprises here and there. The editor has taken matured prayers, modernized them, and formatted them in such a way that they breathe a quiet repose. Though a particular petition may fill a page or two, Elmer has broken it ...

A delightful adventure! The return of Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy to Narnia, long generations after they had left. Filled with surprises. But the tale is also thick with purpose and meaning. Such as following Aslan, even when others won't; loyalty; commitment, even against all odds. But it is also dripping with good theology in artful ways. One of my favorite lines comes at the end. Caspian finds that he comes from ancestors who were pirates. After voicing his disappointment, Aslan states, "You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve, and that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor in earth. Be content" (211-2). I highly recommend the book. If you are looking for a grandfatherly reading of the book, you can go here to my YouTube Channel and pull up the videos of me reading each chapter - funny voices and all.