Grace & Peace to You
Last weekend, my wife and I were up in Grand Rapids, Michigan for a funeral for a family cousin of hers. When we were there, we had the opportunity to join some friends in attending Mars Hill for their Sunday service. Mars Hill, if you’re not aware, is the church where Rob Bell preaches. Rob Bell is mostly known for his book Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith (you can read it in its entirety in the link I just pasted) and the short-film series NOOMA. → Read more...
2007 Year in Review, Part I
Well, I haven’t written in this site for a while now, but that is not to say that I’ve been out of touch. I have been visiting other people’s Xangas, Facebooks and MySpaces. I’ve seen what other people are up to, but now I guess it’s my turn. What have I been up to in 2007? Well, not much and a lot at the same time. January, 2007 began the realization that my wedding date was approaching what with (expensive) wedding-related bills that were coming due. → Read more...
Don’t Throw Away 2007
Four more days and 2007 will fade in history while 2008 dawns upon us. During these next few days, you will undoubtedly read many top-ten lists of the best and worst of 2007 in many different areas such as movies, newsworthy events, books, et cetera. During this time of worldwide reflection, many people look back at their life experience during the previous year and take stock of it. Mistakes and wrong detours are chewed upon while resolutions are passed to do better: eat better, exercise better, recycle better, pray better, make better decisions. → Read more...
Have a Quiet, Merry Christmas
It’s hard to believe, but Christmas is right around the corner! One of my favorite things to do around this time of the year is to put up a Christmas tree with colored lights and then turn off all of the lights in the house except for the ones on the tree. Then I get comfortable on a couch and just sit and look at it. There’s something quiet and soothing about just sitting in front of a decorated, lit Christmas tree with absolutely nothing going on in the background. → Read more...
Integrity is Integral
The big news today, of course, is the release of a 409-page report from an independent investigation into illegal performance-enhancing drug use in Major League Baseball. For those who want to read the report in its entirety, the PDF can be found right here via Yahoo!’s Sports page. There are essentially three major points that can be gleaned from this report: * There was widespread use of illegal steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs by Major League Baseball players for more than a decade, in violation of federal law and baseball policy. → Read more...
Waiting…
As a kid, I remember WAITING for Christmas to come so I could open those Christmas presents. The days seemed to go by so SLOOOWWLLY that it would drive me nuts. What was I to do? What are we to do when we’re waiting anxiously for something that seems so far away? I came across this wonderful piece written by Dr. Larry Pillow of A Fresh Start Ministries. I’d like to share it with you this week. → Read more...
What Are You Giving This Year?
Well, the turkey’s been eaten and the stuffing’s been stuffed down our stomachs. The volcanic mashed potatoes with gravy lava are gone, so are the cranberries and jello. Thanksgiving’s over and now with one holiday down, we all turn our attention to Christmas. I cannot think of a more divisive holiday than Christmas. Thanksgiving is all about gathering with family and giving thanks for the blessings and the sorrows of the year. New Year’s Eve is simply about celebrating the passing the old year and the excitement of the promises that the new year brings. → Read more...
I’m moving. I love moving, but there’s always this one thing that I really hate about it. It’s the lack of an internet connection. I really feel naked without one. It’s almost a security blanket for me. Here’s hoping the day goes well. → Read more...
The Grace in Snow
January 17, 2008
Calvary
Comments Off on The Grace in Snow
Matt
Last week, I talked about attending a service at Mars Hill where my wife and I heard Rob Bell present a sermon on two of the most powerful words in the Christian world: grace and peace. (If you missed the email last week, you can find it in our eLetter archives here along with many other ones. Nifty, huh?) Well, ever since I heard the sermon, I had been trying to think of examples in which God provides hints of His grace and His peace to today’s broken world, seemingly so far removed from the amazing miracles and events of the Old Testament and the New Testament life of Jesus Christ. → Read more...
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