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Devotions for the Church Year

Risen and Seated on High

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“Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11

According to the church calendar, today is the fortieth day after Easter, the day when Jesus ascended into heaven. Jesus spent the weeks between Easter and his arrival in heaven appearing to his disciples, eating with them, talking with them, and inviting them to touch his side and to see his hands and feet. Why? Because the resurrection was real. As the Apostle’s Creed states, “He was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell and on the third day he rose again and is seated at the right hand of the Father.”

These things really happened, and Jesus wanted his disciples to grasp the meaning and the power of the resurrection. He calls them to be witnesses of all they have seen and everything they have experienced.

But more was still to come. The disciples must stay in Jerusalem until Jesus sent what the Father had promised (Luke 24:49). Acts 1:5 tells us this promise was the Holy Spirit. The disciples would get baptized with it, empowering them to preach the gospel and spread the transforming news of repentance and forgiveness of sin.

What does the ascension of Christ mean for us today? We are people who live half-way across the world from Bethany, the place where Jesus left earth. Maybe those angels didn’t know what they were talking about. “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you . . . will come back in the same way . . .” Two thousand years have passed and we are still waiting and watching.

We can trust in the fact that Jesus ascended to a certain place. He didn’t perform a magic trick and disappear or disintegrate making people wonder if he still exists. Jesus went to a place, and that place is heaven, the home of God, a sovereign King who sits on an eternal throne.

Going to this place, Jesus broke the trail for us so that we have a path in which to follow. Because of his redemptive work, we will someday rise and join him in heaven. Paul writes in I Thessalonians 4:17, we who are still alive will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. John 14:2-3 also picks up this theme with Jesus’ words. He goes to prepare a place for us and will come back and take us to be with him so that we may also be where he is.

Because of Christ’s ascension, we share with him in his power. Not a political power such as the disciples asked about in Acts 1:6 when they still held out hope that Jesus would restore the kingdom of Israel. This is a spiritual power that sets people free and grows in them the likeness of Christ. Jesus has authority over creation, sickness, evil, and death. We share in that authority as we live in relationship with him, offering prayers to him and trusting his power.

Are you standing with the disciples today, staring intently into the sky wondering, confused, and maybe even a little mystified? The season of celebration isn’t over yet. Eastertide, the season following Easter Sunday, still has ten days to go. The disciples spent these ten last days waiting for God’s promise to arrive. I wonder if heaven needed that long to attend the grand coronation of the Prince of Peace as he took his place at the right hand of the Father.

When there are delays in our lives and we are waiting around in the city for God to deliver his promises to us, maybe the wait is because something must happen in heaven (the spiritual realm) first before the promise can arrive. These are the times to follow the disciples’ example and continually praise God as they did following Jesus’ ascension. “Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple praising God” (Luke 24:52-53).

This is the note on which the book of Luke ends. In times of waiting for a promise from God, we praise him. In response to his ascension into heaven and his preparation of a place for us there, we live with the mystery. We wait for God’s promises. We receive his power.

Devotionals

The Creator of Hearts

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From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind, from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. Psalm 33:13-15

In an out-of-the-way corner of my yard, a flower with the name bleeding heart blooms among the ferns. This is such a fascinating flower. Each little bloom, resembling a heart, is its own puff. Not flat like the petal of a rose or a tulip, but with dimension from which a tiny white drop grows. The delicate branch of the plant that supports these blooms is similar to a necklace on which little pink jewels dangle.

The bleeding heart blooms for about two weeks out of the year. As soon as warm temperatures arrive, the little jewel-hearts fade to a light purple and fall to the ground. The plant then blends in with the rest of the shaded landscape for the rest of the growing season.

I like to study and ponder the bleeding heart because I find great comfort in the idea that the same God who created the planets, instituted governments, and conquered death is the same God who made the bleeding heart. He delights to design it and take the time for forming the intricate little flowers on their delicate stem. They bloom for his enjoyment and bring him pleasure.

The same God who formed the bleeding heart also forms my heart. He knows the intricacies of my character and how best to support the delicate places. He sees the areas that need growth, and plants me in the best climate for blossoming. In a harsh world of oppressive heat and dry terrains, he tucks me into a sheltered corner where I might rest in his shade.

The Lord takes good care of me. He takes good care of us. The events of our lives do not happen senselessly, but are secretly guided by God who sees and directs all that is taking place. The proof of his work is all around us. We only need to use our eye of faith to see and to pay attention to God’s invisible providence. He is working, always working. A favorite theologian of mine says, “Heaven is not a palace in which God remains idle and indulges in pleasures, but a royal court from which he exercises his government over all parts of the world. If he has erected his throne in the sanctuary of heaven in order to govern the universe, it follows that he doesn’t neglect the affairs of earth, but governs them with the highest reason and wisdom” (Commentary on Psalms 1-35 by John Calvin, translated by Henry Beveridge, p. 548-49).

God reigns from the sanctuary of heaven. He instructs spiritual powers. He determines the weather. He attends our worship services. He fashions delicate little flowers. Nothing or no one is too small to receive his care, and that care brings with it the highest wisdom. We can trust the happenings of our lives to his care. He formed the bleeding heart. He continues to form and shape our hearts. He watches over our lives, our coming and going, now and forevermore.

Devotionals

Rainbow Chasers

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So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on earth.” Genesis 9:17

Wednesday afternoon, I sat at the kitchen table with my son Mark, a senior in high school who is a young man ready to explore the world and chase down some big dreams. We talked of the future, his hopes and concerns as he prepares to go to college. Rain fell outside the windows from a gray sky filled with low clouds.

During a break in our conversation, he checked the weather radar and announced, “The sun will be shining in ten minutes.” He left his chair to gather his camera and other gear usually used for chasing storms and said on his way out the door, “I’m going to go chase a rainbow.”

Mark, the aspiring meteorologist, shifted out of our common world of questions and planning to move into the wistful world of adventure and dreaming. He’s on his way to chase a rainbow. I wonder if in that moment my teenage son heard the Lord’s voice more clearly than many of us do in our entire lifetimes. He heard a call to adventure and discovery, places to look for the misty colors in the air, and to journey to the beginning of some new endeavor. The beginning may appear so translucent he may not realize he stands in it until the clouds break and multi-colored sunlight shimmers over him.

Way back at the beginning, in Genesis 9, God extended the same invitation to Noah. “Be a rainbow chaser,” God said in his institution of this new sign. “I establish my covenant with you . . . this is the sign of the covenant . . . for all generations to come. I have set my rainbow in the clouds and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth” (Genesis 9:11-13).

God calls the rainbow his. “I have set my rainbow in the clouds.” He knows its beginning and ending. He knows the span of its stretch, and he knows the meaning of its appearance. The rainbow is a sign of his promise. God promises to preserve our lives, to offer salvation, and to cover us with his protection.

The invitation he offered Noah goes out to us today. “Watch for my sign of the covenant I have made with you,” God says. “I promise to help you and watch over you. I grant you my favor and will spare you from destruction.”

Our journeys of faith are chases after rainbows. Those misty arches of promise fill us with hope and draw us to the place where ethereal vapors bend down to meet our world of question and struggle. Herein lies the adventure. Can we hear the call to live in covenant with a holy God? And when we do, are we ready to chase after him, believing in him as our only source of salvation?

When we find him, all the fullness of his rich promises become ours. Not only have we chased after a rainbow, but we’ve found and claimed it.

“Chase hope. Chase after life, chase my promises. Chase me,” God says.

Devotionals

Son of Honor

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Teacher, I want to see. Mark 10:51

The journey to Jerusalem included a stop in Jericho where a blind man by the name of Bartimaeus begged along the side of the road. When Jesus passed by, Baritmaeus called out to him asking for mercy.

Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.

Mark introduces Bartimaeus by noting that he was the son of Timaeus. I wonder if Timaeus was well-known in the city of Jericho for Mark to call attention to the father’s name. Would Timaeus appreciate this association? Perhaps he felt shame or disappointment over his son’s condition. Maybe he went about his business gathering wealth and respect on the streets of Jericho refusing to claim as his son a man who sat in the dirt of the roadside begging.

Sons were supposed to lead the family, to learn from the father and carry on his name, to continue in the family business and capitalize on his inheritance. But Bartimaeus, blind, helpless, and begging, was good for nothing, unable to function according to his family’s and the culture’s expectations.

Perhaps no one had ever shown him mercy.

Ironically, the meaning of the name Bartimaeus was “son of honor.” As a blind beggar, he did not bring his father honor. Neither did he receive honor. The only treatment he’d ever known was disrespect and marginalization.

But today, Jesus the Messiah, the Son of David, passed through town. If ever there existed the slightest chance of receiving compassion, this was it.

Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.

In crying out for mercy, Bartimaeus asked Jesus to really and truly see him. Bartimaeus couldn’t see Jesus, but maybe the Rabbi would pause long enough to look his direction and see him. The cry for mercy asked Jesus to care about what he saw, and to please, for heaven’s sake, not heap on him any more harsh treatment.

Bartimaeus got his wish. Jesus calls for him and presents him with the same question he’d asked his disciples in a previous discussion about honor and power. “What do you want me to do for you?”

If Jesus were to ask me such a direct question, I’m not sure I would know how to answer. What do I want Jesus to do for me? If I could have anything in the world straight from the hand of God, what would it be? I doubt that I would understand my own desires and limitations enough to give the question a proper answer.

But Bartimaeus knew what he wanted. First, he wanted Jesus’ compassion. When he knew he’d received it, he made one simple request.

Teacher, I want to see.

He didn’t ask for money or for friends or even for a bath. He asked for the one thing that would make him independent. The one thing that would restore honor to his family and allow him to take his rightful place in Jericho society.

Teacher, I want to see.

Jesus gives it to him, and he heals this man with a word. “Go.” Jesus might have touched him, but instead of applying a mud paste as he’d done for another blind man, Jesus says, “Go.” Find freedom from the beggar’s life, from darkness, from hopelessness.

The man’s faith in Jesus is what healed him. Possibly the first person ever to see him for who he really was, Jesus honors him for his faith. But Bartimaeus didn’t use his new vision and freedom for himself. Instead, he became a disciple, following Jesus along the road, praising God, and telling about what Jesus had done for him.

Teacher, I want to see.

Free us, O Lord, from darkness, and from hopelessness. We ask for your mercy. Work in our hearts until we know our own desires and limitations well enough to come to you in truth.

Grow our faith.

Empower us for testimony. Amen

Devotions for the Church Year

A Disciple Reflects on Holy Week

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crossThis coming Sunday marks the beginning of the events leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection. Holy Week runs the gamut of emotions from high celebration on Palm Sunday, to loss and bewilderment on Good Friday, to amazement on the day of resurrection. If I were one of the disciples watching this drama unfold, I am sure I would have felt completely overwhelmed and utterly confused. Here is Jesus, friend and teacher, who everyone hoped would develop a strong military campaign for reclaiming the nation of Israel, in which he would overpower the Romans and take back the inheritance rightfully belonging to the twelve tribes.

But what happened to him instead? Jesus is captured, beaten, and killed. Pilate acknowledged him as the King of the Jews, but in a mocking, taunting wort of way. Not with the pomp and commanding magnificence usually associated with a king. No one wanted to claim as theirs the bloody mass on the cross anyway. A person convicted of blasphemy and hanging between two thieves did not qualify as trustworthy leader material.

It looks like God’s mission failed. He’d sent the Messiah, the one promised to the Jews for their rescue. But this Messiah had only managed to get in trouble with the Jewish Law and was now dying a criminal’s death.

Where was a disciple to look for fulfilled hopes of restoration? Following Jesus might have been a waste of time. Peter returns to fishing. John takes Mary home. Darkness falls.

The cross was actually the best place to look for those dreams of restoration. Friday afternoon with its agony and suffering ushered in a new order. Redemption came as a vulnerable gift, not as a royal decree imposed by force. Saturday’s silence filled with questions hung as mystifying as the torn curtain in the temple. God’s Son had died. The way was now clear to approach him. Maybe this is what those startling events of the past week were all about. Everyone could view the Holy of Holies now, not just a consecrated priest.

The images from Friday probably played through the minds of the disciples over and over again. The verse from the hymn When I Survey the Wondrous Cross captures what the disciples surely would have felt.

See, from His head, His hands, His feet. Sorrow and love flow mingled down. Did ever such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Sorrow and love. The two qualities of Christ’s crucifixion. It was the best of times for these disciples, knowing their Lord loved them enough to die for them. It was the worst of times, knowing the intense suffering sin caused, and then grieving the loss of him. No one would ever take Jesus’ place. The end had come.

But then Sunday morning arrives. Mary runs into town with the astonishing news of an empty grave. Angels had greeted her with the announcement, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples” (Mark 16:6-7).

Jesus is risen. He conquered death and the grave. Salvation is freely given. Men and women from every nation can receive the forgiveness of their sins. Jesus paid the price. The work is done.

Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.

 

Devotionals

Would you Rather?

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Which of the two did what his father wanted? Matthew 21:31 (NIV)

During a trip I made with other church staff to a conference last fall, a number of our group that had traveled from Pella enjoyed some time in the hotel’s lobby sharing stories and laughs. At one point, the conversation turned to playing the game “Would You Rather.” If you’ve played this game, you know that the person whose turn it is must pick two bad choices and then ask everyone else in the group which one they would rather do. Thus the name of the game, “Would You Rather.” We explored all sorts of options from eating disgusting food to taking outrageous risks.

When I arrived home, the concept of the game remained on my mind. Life so often presents us with less than ideal choices. We long for the perfect or the easy, but reality is right there eager to crowd in and remind us of the fallen world in which we live.

Jesus engages his listeners in his own version of this game in Matthew 21:28-32 when he asks the Pharisees which son, both of whom gave less than ideal responses, did what the father asked of them. “What would you rather do,” Jesus seems to ask, “promise the father obedience and later deceive Him, or act sincere and then later reject Him?”

Two bad choices. Unfortunately, they are ones that our hearts default into easier than we care to admit. Hypocrisy can be so subtle and yet so deceptive. I wonder if this is what Jesus hoped the Pharisees in the audience would catch on to. Don’t keep all the rules and assent to true doctrine if it only stays in your head. Love God. Devote your life to Him. Live in faith as a way of life, not just as a Sunday morning posture.

Jesus is asking for repentance here, not as a legalistic demand such as the Pharisees were accustomed to making, but as a gesture of grace. He wants them in the kingdom too. He holds up the tax collectors and the prostitutes as examples in an effort to generate urgency under their decision. “Come in out of your legalism and hypocrisy,” Jesus again seems to say. “Would you rather stay trapped in your self-righteous observance of the Law and allow the sinners to enter the Kingdom ahead of you, or would you rather surrender your grasp on power and repent?”

In a Pharisee’s mind, these were both bad choices. They couldn’t stand the idea of sinners gaining something they could not. Neither could they give up power and do what Jesus asked of them.

While Jesus is challenging the chief priests and teachers of the Law, he is also opening a window allowing for a glimpse of a lovely truth. The tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom! They are hearing Jesus’ call, believing His message, receiving healing, and finding a home in the Kingdom of God.

What does this mean for us? First, I believe we must always be in tune with our hearts. Are we sincere before God? Are we devoted to Him? Do we desire Him? Depending on how we answer those questions, we need to do the hard yet fruitful soul work so that we can answer “yes” to devotion and to desire.

The next thing we can do is to continue making the call to confession. People enter the Kingdom through repentance. Contrition has fallen out of style these days, but that doesn’t mean we have to quit showing people the entrance to the Kingdom of God. One simple invitation to confess sin could open up the whole of eternity to someone. It is worthwhile to take the risk of making the continued invitation into confession and repentance.

Last, we can trust that our efforts, even the ones we make with reluctance, bear fruit in the Kingdom. The sinners are coming to Christ! “Would you rather” has become for me an important question to include in my own growth. Would I rather do the hard work internally so that I am an effective minister for Christ, or would I rather sit on the sidelines uncaring of the world around me but smugly assured of my own good doctrine? Would I rather see people I look down on come to faith, or would I rather continue on in my own self-righteous perceptions of how the world should run? Would I rather take the risk of leading others to Jesus and possibly fail, or would I rather leave them in darkness unaware that a whole new life awaits them?

If I had been standing in the crowd that day when Jesus told this parable, I’m not sure how I would have answered. But the son who said “no” to his father but later changed his mind is a better model than the one who practiced deception. Neither response honored the father, but at least the work he wanted done would get accomplished. Thanks be to God for his mercy and grace.

Of a Woman in Ministry

Do Something Dangerous!

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One of our family’s favorite movies is “Dudley Do-Right” based on a cartoon with a Canadian Mountie as the main character. The Canadian Mountie is a legendary figure with “Maintien le Droit,” or “uphold the right” as his motto. The responsibilities of the Mountie called for bravery, heroism, and strength. They were fearless and they were the law, worthy of authority and respect.

But Dudley isn’t any of these honorable Mountie qualities. He is spineless, clumsy, and intimidated. As the movie progresses, we see Dudley surrounded by a whole gang of bad guys. Robbing the local bank and taking over the town, these surly characters in black jackets and face masks are moving fast.

Dudley finds himself out-witted. He loses his job and stumbles across a bum up in the mountains who takes Dudley under his wing and teaches him how to be a hero. The bum’s last words to his floundering student are, “get out there and do something dangerous!” Bruised and confused, Dudley stumbles away in search of adventure.

Get out there and do something dangerous. This sounds an awfully lot like the apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:10—22. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the enemy’s schemes . . .put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Paul is cheering on a new church intent on advancing the gospel in the pagan Roman Empire. Paul himself sits in prison bound in chains as he writes. He knows what is at stake for the church if they do not heed these words. The Christian faith will die out. Justice and righteousness according to God’s Law would no longer be maintained. Yet, Paul knows what is at stake for the new church if they do heed his words. Persecution. Imprisonment for daring to worship anyone but the Caesar. Maybe even death. It was a tough choice. One that needed to be made in spite of the danger and hardship it would invite.

In his book, The Good and Beautiful Life, James Bryan Smith says, “Jesus observes that those who pursue righteousness are going against the grain of society, and that will result in persecution. Following Jesus is dangerous if we lead the kind of life he calls us to. When we choose to fight for justice and peace or not to lie or judge others, we will face backlash. The promise in the last beatitude is the same as in the first: ‘for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ When we align ourselves with Jesus and observe his ways, we are in the kingdom” (p. 61-62).

The kingdom is the territory where God reigns. It’s the place where we are called to live dangerously. Go on a mission. Dare to be a serious disciple of Christ. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Live by values. Pray.

But don’t we often feel like Dudley Do-Right, intimidated in the face of evil or hardship and bumbling along in confusion hoping that something we did today counted? It is in times like this when Jesus calls us to an adventure. When we are taking the risks and counting the cost we are in the safest place of all. His plan for our lives lived out under his protection is the strength we need to continue to take a stand for the kingdom. With the armor firmly in place that Ephesians mentions, we can not only uphold the right, but go on to influence people to change like the early Christians did. The message of the gospel eventually wins.

Of an Author

Designing the Writing Space

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Last summer, my husband and I completed some much needed remodeling to our home. It was an exciting time watching outdated spaces made new. In the midst of the mess and disorder of construction, I was also working on the editing of my debut novel, preparing it for a fall publication date. The summer months felt similar to the anticipation a couple feels when they welcome a new member into their family. In our case we weren’t expecting a baby, but rather the completed book along with the celebration and opportunities for forming new relationships it would bring.

The summer remodeling project freed up enough space in our basement to allow me to clean out the room I had used to give piano lessons in the past and convert it to my writing study. I call it a study because of the shelves of books and cabinets of research materials housed there. The decor has stayed the same, as you can see in this photo of the wall paper with musical instruments on it that hung in this room through my years as a piano teacher.

My writing study includes my writing desk, a comfortable chair, three tall book shelves and one smaller shelf. In addition to a variety of non-fiction book in my collection, my book shelves allow plenty of space for my favorite writers. Perhaps they are also some of your favorites too. One shelf is reserved for my collection of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane books. I’ve visited the homestead in South Dakota and the farm in Mansfield, Missouri, and I can’t help but pick up another book about Laura on each trip to bring home with me.

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More shelves are reserved for books by L.M. Montgomery. She wrote the Anne of Green Gablesseries along with many other stories. L. M. Montgomery had a delightful sense of humor. I have dog-eared the pages of her books that make me laugh every time I read them and refer back to them whenever I am working on writing humor into my own stories.



My fiction library wouldn’t be complete without the shelf dedicated to Janette Oke’s books. She has inspired me every since my high school days. I never expected to become an author of my own fiction books, but I look back now and realize that in addition to picking up the spiritual lessons in her stories, I also discovered the skills for telling a good story.

Another collection of books I have in my writing space is reading materials on Dutch heritage and various Bibles in the Dutch language that have been in my family for generations. The dark brown Bible nearest the top in the photo is from my great-grandmother and dates back to 1889. My stories have a flair of Dutch heritage woven throughout them, so I rely on resources like these to share accurate facts.

The last collection of books in my writing space helpful to an author are my books about the writing craft. I have many, so I will share just one set with you in this blog. If you would like to check out some great books on writing, take a look at the Write Great Fiction series published by Writer’s Digest Books. The titles I have are:

  • Revision and Self Editing by James Scott Bell
  • Dialogue by Gloria Kempton
  • Characters, Emotion and Viewpoint by Nancy Kress
  • Description and Setting by Ron Rozelle
  • Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell

As I mentioned earlier, I also have cabinets in my writing space, One stores more of my materials helpful for exploring Dutch heritage. This cabinet contains photo boxes, books of genealogy, and farm and church history that relates in some way to my family.

A second cabinet is smaller and stores my journals. When I fill a journal, I add it to the collection and then look forward to purchasing and starting a new one.

The last cabinet contains papers, files, and records related to the financial side of writing. Writing really is a business, so I need a place of storage for the accounting to help me stay organized. But that cabinet isn’t all work and no fun. It has just enough space left over to conceal my stash of chocolate. If you’re putting in a day creating a character or working out the ending to the story, make sure to have your favorite brand of chocolate on hand. It is invaluable to the output of quality writing!

Where do you enjoy writing? Are there favorite books you look to for inspiration?

Of a Woman in Ministry

Michelle’s Best Winter Reads

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The winter months, and especially January and February of 2019, allow me time to settle down in my comfy recliner with a blanket, a dairy-free cup of Chai tea latte, and my stack of accumulated books. I’ve had a chance to complete several of them, so I thought I would share their titles and a brief review of each one. The categories I usually read include prayer, leadership or Biblical studies, spiritual formation, and of course keeping up with sisters in Christ who also write Christian fiction.

The Category of Prayer

Whispers of Rest

This book by author Bonnie Gray came to me from one of my worship volunteers. It is designed to be used as a devotional and follows a forty day format. Six sections complete the structure of the book highlighting the reader as the “Beloved.” Section one offers readings around the theme of Being the Beloved. Section two is about Choosing as the Beloved. Section three’s theme is Dreaming as the Beloved. Section four’s theme is Healing as the Beloved. Section five is about Daring as the Beloved. Section six teaches Shining as the Beloved.

Each day’s reading is a combination of poetry, Scripture, prayers, and reflection questions. At the end of each reading is a “Beloved Challenge” inviting the reader to journal on a topic related to the daily theme.

If you are looking for a devotional book that helps your recognize God’s still, quiet voice inviting you to bask in his beauty, peace, and intimacy, this book may be a good fit.

Whispers of Rest is published by FaithWords.

Living the Christian Year

This book by author Bobby Gross is right up my alley as a disciple and as a worship leader. It teaches how the rhythm of the liturgical calendar, as observed in the church year’s celebration of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, and Easter, gives us a way to join the stories of our lives with God’s larger story.

The book is divided into sections according to the seasons. The first section focuses on the Cycle of Light and includes the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. The second section focuses on the Cycle of Life and includes the seasons of Lent and Easter. The third section focuses on the Cycles of Love and includes the summer season known in the church year as ordinary time.

I appreciate this book because it gives a full explanation of the meaning of each of these liturgical seasons. The author shares the history behind their development, and also makes the connection of how these seasons relate to our lives and our experiences in faith.

Each section of the book offers devotional readings, one per week, that apply the theme for that season to our own spiritual formation. Laid out in a similar format to the order of worship we follow in a church service, each devotional contains a wealth of Scripture and prayer to assist a personal approach and response to God.

After spending time with the material in this book, the reader will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the liturgical seasons, and will also grow in a willing and devout response to God’s workings in their life.

The Category of Biblical Studies

Two sets of commentary series have become very helpful to me as I create Bible studies for my friends at Christian Opportunity Center. We’ve been progressing through the New Testament, spending approximately nine months in each book. Now that we have finished Matthew and Mark, we’ve been studying the book of Luke since Christmas.

One set of commentaries is The Biblical Imagination Series by Michael Card. He is a musician/theologian like myself so I enjoy his creative storytelling style. An easy read as far as commentaries go, these books offer background on the gospels and weave Michael Card’s own thoughts with sections of Scripture. His insights have led me deeper in my understanding of the gospels. He brings up ideas about character and culture that are unique from a more academic style commentary.

The second set of commentaries I rely on is the Christ Centered Exposition series authored by the team of David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida. These men have done a great job developing commentaries that balance solid academic material with sound doctrine in an easy to read format. Each chapter in the commentary parallels a chapter in the Bible. It begins with a clear outline and ends with reflection questions to use as application points or as discussion with a group.

If you are a Bible teacher, youth group leader, or a volunteer in any capacity in your faith community, both of these sets of commentaries are practical, easy to understand, and written in such a way as to deepen your faith and offer you an encounter with the living Jesus.

The Christ Centered Exposition series is published by B&H Publishing Group.

The Category of Spiritual Formation

The Path Between Us

This book by Suzanne Stabile is a study of the Enneagram. I was curious just what the Enneagram was when others around me said things like, “I am a seven, or “I am a nine.” Having no idea what they meant, I did some investigation and discovered this book. It is designed to explain the nine Enneagram types and how they behave and experience relationships. I developed greater insight into how my family and colleagues function, leading me to be more gracious in my responses to them. While reading this book, the light bulb will go off while you think, “Oh, so this is why so-and-so acts like they do!” The revelation I appreciated most was the moment my own light bulb went off. “Oh. so this is why I act like I do!” Aha. The study of the Enneagram gives me some things in my own character to work on.

The reader gains deeper insights about their personality and about the personality types of others so that they can have healthier, more live giving relationships.

The Path Between Us is published by InterVarsity Press

Invitation to Retreat

Founding president of the Transforming Center, Ruth Haley Barton writes on the topic of spiritual formation. Her other books cover the topics of prayer, group discernment, meeting the challenges of leadership, and building spiritual practices into daily life.

This book, I feel, is her most vulnerable work yet. In it, Ruth is bravely honest about the workings of her own heart, leading her to the need for extended time away with God. The 12 chapters in this book explain what a personal spiritual retreat is, how to plan a retreat, the experience of prayer while on retreat, and the continued benefits after going on a retreat.

True to her style, Ruth offers simple exercises to practice while also giving encouragement based on her own experiences.

Even if you’ve never been on a retreat before and the idea makes you a little uneasy, Ruth guides you through the experience making you long for more.

Invitation to Retreat is published by InterVarsity Press

The Category of Christian Fiction

A Borrowed Dream

This book by Amanda Cabot has all the qualities I enjoy in fiction: small town atmosphere, interaction with children, and main characters who desire to influence lives for good. Catherine Whitfield is the town’s school teacher. Austin Goddard is a doctor living under a secret identity of a rancher. They work together to help a boy on a neighboring farm and develop a relationship.

The title for the book comes from the theme of Catherine’s dream to someday visit Paris. A young lady with a mysterious past comes to town dreaming of the same thing. Austin decides to come out of hiding and help her, making these dreams come true.

A Borrowed Dream is published by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Devotions for the Church Year

A Place of Freedom

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This is a blog I wrote last January as we looked ahead to a new year, so I thought I would share it again as we look ahead to 2019.

She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. –Luke 2:37-38

Nothing stood in the way of Anna loving God. She lived in a time and a culture when women—especially widowed older women like her—faced many obstacles.

The political government and religious community of the day would have looked upon women like Anna as inferior and second class. As a result, she would have been marginalized to the outer fringes of society.

And yet Anna still loved and worshiped God. Even more, God loved and honored her. Anna was known as a prophetess because of the obvious mark of the Holy Spirit on her life. Her testimony of devotion to God shines through her holiness and chastity.

Love for God is what gave her word legitimacy when the baby Messiah came to the temple and she spoke about him to all who anticipated his arrival. Anna’s life teaches us that the religious and political rulers might make the laws and enforce them, but God’s spirit operated outside of or perhaps in spite of man’s structures.

We can’t impose limitations on God. Anna’s devotion asks this question—do we get caught up in adhering to human rules, or are we going to recognize where God is working?

The Christmas story answers that question with proof that God works completely free from power structures, social customs, or religious laws.

Jesus was conceived outside the social customs of marriage.

He lived outside Herod’s palace.

God promised Zechariah a child outside the limitations of old age.

The Holy Spirit appeared in the life of Anna, outside the boundaries of gender roles.

Luke’s account of the Christmas story shows that God is in the submissive, open heart of Mary. He is present in the quiet vulnerability of humble surroundings. His word can be found in the righteousness of obedience and prayer. His delight is in the life of devotion and worship.

All these things—submission, vulnerability, humility, righteousness, obedience, prayer, and worship have the same thing in common which is love.

The love of God transcends any obstacles, barriers, or limitations. Love is where freedom is found. Our love for God and his love for us is the place from where power, value, and peace flow.

Are you longing for freedom today? If so, I encourage you to stand with Anna in the temple—the place of worship and prayer, and offer yourself with new devotion to God’s plans and his purpose for your life.