Of late, two great interests of mine have been 1) working with people to help make the Bible more “useful” and available to us in our daily lives and 2) helping all of us think about money from the perspective of faith. On the “usefulness” of the Bible I know this subject can be a bit tricky. I don’t want to reduce the value of the Bible to self-help advice. Rather, what I mean is that if we don’t find ourselves thinking about the biblical stories in relation to our daily lives, or if the only time with think about the Bible at all is on Sunday, then I don’t see why we’ll keep coming to church. I mean, pretty much all we do...
Luke 22:39-46
posted by DJL
He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, if you...
Forgetfulness
posted by DJL
I didn’t set out to make February “Billy Collins Month”, but it appears that I have. ☺ So one more of my favorites: “Forgetfulness.” If you have a parent or sibling or friend who has experienced memory loss, you know how painful and frightening it can be. Memory, in so many ways,...
Luke 22:39-42
posted by DJL
He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, if you...
Last Bible Story Jams…At Least for a While
posted by DJL
Two more Bible Story Jam videos. The first on Luke 10:25-37, and the second on Luke 13:1-9, 31-35. Actually, not just two more, but the two last…at least for a while. We’ve had great fun doing these Bible Story Jams – you can learn more about the original idea and how we went about making them at an earlier post – and we hope others were inspired to practice reading and talking about biblical stories. Our hope all along is that we take the Bible off the altar, so to speak, and put it in the hands of everyday Christians, and we’ve been encouraged by the response. But for now, each of us has some other work we need to get to. We...
Luke 22:35-38
posted by DJL
He said to them, “When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “No, not a thing.” He said to them, “But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell...
Creativity and the Critic
posted by DJL
Do you ever wish that annoying colleague or friend who always wants to “improve” your ideas would just go away? You know the one I mean, he (or she) isn’t mean spirited or particularly unkind, just always a bit critical. Well, be careful what you wish for. More and more studies show that creativity flourishes not in an environment devoid of criticism but one filled with supportive critique. “Supportive,” of course, is key. The idea is to improve – to point out the strengths, certainly, but also and more importantly the weaknesses of an idea in order to make it better. This isn’t criticism for criticism’s sake; it’s...
Luke 22:31-34
posted by DJL
“Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” And he said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!” Jesus...
Teaching with Story
posted by DJL
Every time Tyler DeWitt mentions “science” in the following TEDTalk, think “Bible” or “theology.” Because the problem he’s describing – the incomprehensible and jargon-laden nature of science textbooks that make science so incredibly boring that no middle schooler wants to...
Luke 22:28-30
posted by DJL
“You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” These words must have been both welcome and...
Recent Comments