My family wasn’t big on ceremony, but I remember two events that marked the entryway into the grown-up world for my brothers and me. The first, which came when we turned twelve (or so) years old, was the gift of steel-toed work boots. The second, which came when we got our driver’s license, was our very own set of keys to the family car—with the bonus of a later curfew.   Read More

One of the great scenes in the Bible, on the other side of Jesus’ resurrection, has to be what happened on the road to Emmaus. A couple of Jesus followers are on a walk. Like many people do when they’re trying to sort out all that’s happened, they start talking it out as they’re taking steps. Go to any walking trail in America and you’ll most likely find the same thing . . . people unpacking life while walking with a trusted friend. It's a beautiful thing, really.  Read More

Death is a somber cloud that hangs over Holy Week. I know Sunday is coming. I know that Christ will not stay in the ground. Yet I also know that every passing Easter finds me a year closer to my own grave. It reminds me of another tomb that must be occupied before it can be emptied.  Read More

Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see. And as the Savior passed that way, He looked up in that tree. And he said, “Zacchaeus, you come down. For I’m going to your house today.” Sound familiar? Many of us baby boomers grew up singing that song in kids’ church. It is a song that tells a lot about a man and a Savior.  Read More

A religious person is not necessarily a born-again person—even when their religion is steeped in the gospel. I know because I was one, an “almost” Christian.  Read More

We have no idea what Christ has for us on the other side of self-denial. Much of what we see in the moment of decision appears to be loss, like God is intent on taking something away from us. He’s cutting into our enjoyment. Disrupting and interrupting all the good stuff we had planned.  Read More