focus on faith

Bible and lily

Focus on Faith – A Gift That Can Change Our World: Compassion

Many challenges have presented themselves to us over the past few years. Some of those include finding ways to respond to the economic challenges, global warming, natural disasters at home and around the world to name just a few. If we are not careful, it would be easy for us to become so entangled in how to meet the larger challenges of life, that we miss the everyday opportunities to produce change in our own world. One of the ways to produce that change is through channeling a portion of ourselves into others through acts of compassion. 

Hands on the bible

Focus on Faith – What can you do to bring Glory to God this Lent?

I have yet to hear a parishioner say, “Lent is my favorite time of year.” I hear that sentiment about spring or fall or Christmastime and especially summer. Those rank among people’s favorite ‘times,’ but not Lent. At least it hasn’t been verbalized it to me.

bible and cross

Focus on Faith – The Revelation of Jesus Christ

The average Christian is afraid of at least one book in the Bible: Revelation. The visions given to St. John of the Beast and the Dragon are startling, but really we are taken aback by the wholesale destruction of the earth. Plagues, stars falling, Death riding a pale horse. These images are a far cry from Jesus carrying a sheep in His arms or God helping us to mount up with wings like eagles. Nevertheless, I assure you, the book of Revelation wasn’t meant to scare or terrify us. It was written to do the exact opposite: comfort us. 

Bible and lily

Focus on Faith – Faith doesn’t mean controlling God 

I believe there are some Christians who may have a misunderstanding of what faith is. There are some that think if they have enough faith, God will do whatever they ask God to do.  So when a crisis comes up, they try to move God into action with their faith.  When an emergency comes up, they try to use faith like a rope to slip around God’s neck to force their will on God.  And when disaster comes, they try to use faith like a button they push to nudge God into action.  And when God doesn’t respond the way they expect, they become disappointed with God and feel like God has let them down.  And for some, when God isn’t doing what they think God should do, they stop praying, reading the Bible and even coming to church.  

Hands on the bible

Focus on Faith – Whose inscription is this?

Every January 1 is a challenge regarding having to remember the date has changed. Over the course of 12 months, the current year gets embedded in our brains. I would go so far as to say 11 months. . . because the first month is all about figuring out the year has changed.

bible and cross

Focus on Faith – Moved with compassion

In the Gospel account of Matthew there is recorded a story that takes place as Jesus is headed up to Jerusalem where he will be arrested, tried, and crucified. In the book of Matthew, chapter 20, verses 29-34, we find Jesus travelling the ancient route that Joshua took as he went into the Promised land some 1400 years earlier. Along the road he passes through the ancient city of Jericho and as he departs from the city, he comes upon two blind men who cried out to him from the side of the road. Having heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out loudly and according to Matthew chapter 20, verse 30, they cried out for mercy and they called him “Lord, thou Son of David.”

Focus on Faith

Focus on Faith – Reflections and directions for 2024

Isaiah 43:18-19 - “Do not remember the past events; pay no attention to things of old. Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” 

The world that we live in is ever-changing. Some of the challenges we are facing include climate change, wars and military conflicts, global health issues, and poverty to name a few. Each of us face our own personal challenges in life, both individually and as families.

Focus on Faith

Focus on Faith – “Not-So-Wise Men”

As with most popular stories, the arrival of the three wise men (or kings) at the manger on Christmas night has been a little embellished. We have a tendency to add details that aren’t actually there in the text. Details that are necessary in order to paint paintings or put on pageants or make movies. The Bible rarely gives us a script ready for reproduction. That’s why we smash Matthew’s Christmas story and Luke’s Christmas story together and put up nativity scenes with as many people (and animals) as we can get.    

Focus on Faith

Focus on Faith – We are called by name

Who named you? We all had someone give us our names. Maybe it was your Mom or Dad who named you or perhaps it was an aunt, uncle or grandparent. Our name is an important way that we identify ourselves. For instance, it is the first way that we introduce ourselves to someone else – my name is such and such and what’s your name. 

Focus on Faith

Focus on Faith – At just the Right Time…

In the 2nd chapter of Luke we find what is commonly referred to as the Christmas story.  

Luke records there the fantastic details of Christ’s birth in a manger in Bethlehem. As we ponder those details, I want us to see that what seems like the humble birth of just another baby, is in reality the hinge point of human history and part of a plan that was in the making from before the beginning of the world. A plan that moved empires to accomplish it’s purpose.