Quote of Note #201/Prayer Note #68: Make Me Merciful & Kind

"Father, restore our souls in Jesus Christ, that we may be merciful and kind, even as Thou art."

Bible Note #62: Compassion & the Anger of Jesus–Mark 3:1-6

They knew that Jesus was guided by compassion for the weak and broken and not by some hard-edged interpretation of the law.

Quote of Note #199: Coercive Force vs. Humble Love

"Loving humility is marvelously strong, the strongest of all things, and there is nothing else like it."

Prayer Note #64: Anger and the Fruit of God’s Spirit

God, my Father, as I look around me,as I see the newsand read my social media feed,anger wells up in me.I am offended by what I see.This world is not as it should be.In my anger, I want to lash out.In my offense, I want to call downfire from heaven.Then, I find in your wordthat … Continue reading Prayer Note #64: Anger and the Fruit of God’s Spirit

Quote of Note #125: Kindness and Gentleness

Photo by GAC "We were created for kind and gentle living. Indeed, kindness and gentleness are two of the fruit-of-the-Spirit characteristics that the apostle Paul mentions in Galatians 5. When Christians fail to measure up to the standards of kindness and gentleness, we are not the people God meant us to be." Richard Mouw, Uncommon … Continue reading Quote of Note #125: Kindness and Gentleness

Pastor Note #118: Advent Reflection #4

Okay, look out.  Gary, the curmudgeon, is in the house. I realized that it’s a terrible cliché of the Christmas season to complain about the way human beings observe the Christmas holiday.  And the Church has been doing that for centuries.  At least from the Middle Ages onward, you find examples of the Church trying … Continue reading Pastor Note #118: Advent Reflection #4