Author: John Willingham
-
Words of Healing
“Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.”–James 5:16 Late in my junior year of college, a group of friends and I were planning our strategy for dorm assignments. Seniors in those days had first dibs in the room lottery. It wasn’t unusual for juniors… Read more
-
The Second Time
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.”–Ephesians 4:32 In this blog, I am using the term “grace” in a broad sense. That is intentional and reflects my understanding of the variety of times when we receive a gift in those everyday encounters of life. Yet in… Read more
-
When We Can’t See It
“The LORD God helps me… therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.”–Isaiah 50:7 “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem.”–Luke 9:51 Ten years ago, a man named Don Wright died. He… Read more
-
The Place to Start
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son.” –John 3:16a During a clergy gathering years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Transitions of Columbia, South Carolina. That group helps move individuals from homelessness to permanent housing. Since its founding in 2011, Transitions has placed more than 3400 persons. It’s a … Read more
-
Perfect Love
“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.”–I John 3:1a Years ago, I was talking with a woman who owned a furniture store in the small town of my first pastorate. As a couple who lived in church-owned housing, but had… Read more
-
Just What We Need
“Jesus said to them, ‘Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.”—John 21:6 I met my wife at a hospital. I wasn’t a patient, but was taking a… Read more
-
Loving like Ellie
And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”–1 Corinthians 13:13 When I was in high school, our church had a pastor named Ellie who worked primarily with teenagers. Ellie was probably in his mid 50s when he began to serve at our congregation. Since I was 14… Read more
-
The Nudge
“Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel said “Speak, for your servant is listening.”–1 Samuel 3:10 Have you ever heard God speak to you? Long ago, a boy named Samuel, came to realize that the voice at bedtime was none other than the Almighty. Generations earlier, Moses stopped… Read more
-
Resisting the Role
“But Moses said, ‘O my Lord, please send someone else.’–Exodus 4:13 “But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.”–Acts 9:13 Several years ago, I was eating lunch by myself in a fast-food restaurant when I overheard a conversation between two… Read more
-
Doing the Vermont Thing
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”–Hebrews 13:2 Last summer, Lori and I took our adult children, their spouses, and our four grandchildren on a vacation to Vermont. We always enjoy visiting new places and this time found a rental near Woodstock. On… Read more