abundant life
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Guests at the banquet
If you’re feeling spiritually dry today—hungry for meaning, longing for the “abundant” life Jesus promised (John 10:10)—then listen to God’s invitation: “Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isa. 55:1). The invitation matters, because it tells us that abundant life is not transactional. Many of… Continue reading
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The harvest is plentiful
“[Jesus] said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest’” (Matt. 9:37-38). It sounds like he might be asking his disciples to pray that someone else be sent to labor in the harvest, that someone else be… Continue reading
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It’s time to celebrate
You probably know it as the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), but I’m not certain that’s the best title for it. We might call it the parable of the loving father, with its depiction of the extravagantly generous father who forgave and welcomed his younger son and offered him full reconciliation, even without… Continue reading
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Building on a solid foundation
If you’re trying to build a life of faith on a solid foundation, the last advice you probably expect to hear is to “[leave] behind the basic teaching about Christ,” teaching about repentance and faith toward God, about baptism and resurrection and eternal judgment (Heb. 6:1-2). A solid foundation is essential if you want to… Continue reading
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Rising to who you really are
“No one rises to low expectations.” That’s what Joe Brady said during the January 29 press conference when he was presented as the new head coach of the Buffalo Bills. He was talking about his expectations of himself in his new job. But he got me thinking about our expectations of ourselves in matters of… Continue reading
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On why we are here at Holy Trinity
What would you say if you were asked why you are here at Holy Trinity this morning? For the last six months, several groups of congregation leaders and members have been asking why any of us are here. We’ve been developing a Why Statement to say as realistically and clearly as possible why we are… Continue reading
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Remember who you are
“How often I have desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing” (Luke 13:34)! Traditionally during Lent, we share vicariously in Jesus’ forty days of being tested in the wilderness to see what he was made of and who he would be. But… Continue reading
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Swimming in life
It may be the question behind every other meaningful question we ask. One nameless man – a John Doe who could have been any one of us – put it this way when he ran up to Jesus and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17). How do I… Continue reading
abundant life, Anthony de Mello, attitude of gratitude, banquet of heaven, before it’s too late, blessings and burdens, blessings of life, eternal life, faith, give thanks in all circumstances, God, Good Teacher, Gospel of Thomas, hard-knock life, heaven, Jesus, kingdom of God, now or never, Orphan Annie, perfect life, the future, the gospel, the Great Banquet, the ocean, two ocean fish
The Sauntering Pilgrim 