Yesterday, the beloved Wendell Berry died at age 92. He was an American novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer. Many of us profited greatly from his various writings, always being challenged by him to pay better attention to what is happening around us, and to do what we could for the good of all things, no matter how small. And he could always comfort: “The impeded stream is the one that sings.” A friend and I were texting about his pas

Sunday in church we sang the familiar “Amazing Grace”, written by converted slave ship captain John Newton. Everyone knows the hymn. Our congregation is largely upper-middle-class, mostly made up of the baby boomer generation. As we sang the first line, in which Newton declares his amazement at the thought that God would save “a wretch like me”, I considered whether I had been or am a wretch. I looked around, wondering how many in the congregation would identify themselves

Rethinking "O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus" and the direction of the biblical story. Recently my lectionary devotional app played a classic hymn - O, the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus. (See lyrics below). I remember it well from my growing-up years. We sang it regularly at home and church. I could probably sing every part and most of the lyrics without a book. When I hear it today, those memories go deep. But other thoughts arise after 40+ years of life experience, during whic

Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi was a 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic scholar, and Sufi mystic. His poetic writings on divine love, the human soul and the unity of all things have become precious to me. Here is one of his on the persistent pursuit of Love. No one can escape it. Not even you, or the worst person you know. You found me once again, you thief of hearts. In drunken ecstasy, you searched the bazaar and found me. Even through sleepy-lidded, Love-drunk eyes, you sp

We continue our series on "what is the Gospel?" by thinking about how Jesus rescues all of creation - from the intensely personal to...

I am currently doing a 6-part sermon series entitled "What is the Gospel?" Many of us who identify as Christians have a unclear view of...

The famous English scholar and theologian N.T. Wright tells the story of riding in a cab in London when the cabbie noticed his clerical...

I follow a blog by the Rev. Dr. Clayton Libolt, retired Christian Reformed Church minister. He’s a pretty smart guy, as indicated by the...

I was first introduced to “apokatastasis” (restoration of all things) in the early 1980s. I was serving as a missionary for the Christian...