Ordinary Grace Blog
The Latest Posts
-
An Essential Reminder
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart.” –Proverbs 3:5 15 years ago, the Session of the congregation I served at the time gathered for a historic decision. Not every matter a church governing body considers rises to that level, of course. This one did as the group pondered next steps in a major renovation
-
The Power of One
“But Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles, and described…how in Damascus Saul had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.” –Act 9:27 His name was Carl. When we first met, he had worked for the telephone company for 39 years. Some of my co-workers had warned me he was odd, even a curmudgeon.
-
Tingling Ears
“Then the LORD said to Samuel, ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle.’” –1 Samuel 3:11 My college roommate Jim is a physician. We first met when I was 17 and have been friends ever since. Each of us served as
-
When the Light Turns Red
“Jacob himself went on ahead of them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near his brother.” –Genesis 33:3 A number of years ago, while still living in North Carolina, I was on my way to the Charlotte airport. I was heading to my sister’s home in Texarkana, Texas. She and her
-
Working Like Frank
“Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord.” –Colossians 3:23a Nearly 25 years ago, my family and I took a vacation to an Orlando theme park with the logo of a very large mouse. The four of us enjoyed the diverse rides and attractions, yet the one moment that left us
-
A Sign of Respect
“Honor everyone” 1 Peter 2:17a “R-E-S-P-E-C-T,” Aretha Franklin famously sang, “find out what it means to me.” In our look at character traits desired for students and grown-ups alike, we come this week to the concept of respect. It’s a simple idea, honoring all people because everyone shares the divine spark with us. Yet as
-
Keeping At It
“‘Yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” –Luke 18:5 The words above come from one of Jesus’ most uncomfortable parables. He opens it by telling of a judge who had no respect for God or people. Certainly those traits
-
Lessons from a Speeding Ticket
“What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.”–Micah 6:7 One day ten years ago, I was only a few miles from my brother’s home in Raleigh when blue lights appeared behind me. I was driving from Pennsylvania to officiate at my aunt’s
-
Walking Securely
“Whoever walks in integrity walks securely.” –Proverbs 10:9a The character trait before us this week is integrity. It’s perhaps one of the easiest terms to define on this list; a kind of living where there is a consistency between our internal values and what others see us do. Living it out, of course,
-
The Challenge of Honesty
“You did not lie to us, but to God!” –Acts 5:4d In our summer look at desired character traits we turn this week to the matter of honesty. My pondering of the topic quickly led me to think of one of the most bizarre Biblical stories in the entirety of Scripture. The account of