Savoring the Scripture

       “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” Usually this phrase is used to explain radical action taken because of extreme circumstances. But what if desperate times called for desperate prayer, perseverance, and dependence? This is what we see in the story of Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, in Mark 10:46-52.     Jesus, nearing the end of His ministry, has set his face toward Jerusalem. He knows what awaits Him there, even if those following Him anticipate something different. On His way to Jerusalem, He comes to Jericho. There, a blind man, hearing the crowd and discovering that Jesus is passing by, calls out for the Son of David to have mercy on him. Many around him sternly tell him to be quiet, and yet refusing to heed their warnings, Bartimaeus “kept crying out all the more” (Mark 10:45). Jesus hears him and instructs those around him to call the man to Him. Those who previously were trying to silence him now encourage Bartimaeus with the words, “...

  Recently I have been reading Matthew Bingham’s book A Heart Aflame for God  (I highly recommend!). In this book on spiritual formation, Matt has a chapter titled “The Natural World” in which he discusses the Puritans’ belief that the natural world reflects God’s glory, teaches God’s truth, and aids in spiritual formation. They observed the world around them and considered carefully how it pointed them to the Lord. I have heard of this before, read examples of it, but I know that this is not something I’m very good at. The other morning, I decided to practice it while I was out on my morning run.      As I was running, and the sun started to come up, I looked to the left and saw the tree line. In the early morning light, all that was really visible were the outlines of the trees. The ups the downs. The highs the lows. Dark shapes. And it brought to mind the paths of our lives. I thought about how 1) our lives are filled with highs and lows, 2) from this earthly...

Serving Faithfully in the Ministry You Have Received. These precious, flawlessly distributed gifts are to be used in community, through the power of the Spirit who gives them, to build up our brothers and sisters and to grow the church as a light shining in a dark world. Word-Filled Women’s Ministry We’ve reached 2 Corinthians 4, where Paul begins by telling the Corinthians that he and his companions have received mercy and a ministry from the Lord and they do not give up, “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:1). The word ‘ministry’ caught my attention because I’ve also been in Colossians where Paul tells them, “And say to Archippus, ‘Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord that you may fulfill it’” (Colossians 4:17). Ministry is a service. It means to serve or labor for the benefit of another. Paul often uses it of himself and those with him as ministers of the gospel. But in a broader sense, every ...