“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28, 29). If there is a word that captures the character of […]
I look back over a year of roadblocks, missteps, failures, and frustrations. I look ahead to a future shrouded in fear and uncertainty. And all I want to do is sit down in the middle and cry. Yet a nebulous sense of guilt keeps me from taking the rest I crave. The state of the […]
In a flash, God could have made an ark for Noah and his family. But He didn’t. Instead, God instructed Noah to build it. Noah spent decades building that boat. It was grueling work. Cutting trees. Hauling lumber. Making sure that every piece fit together just right. Not only did he work with his hands, […]
I’ll never forget my family’s first Sabbath gathering back with our church after thirteen weeks of covid-related cancellations. My four daughters could barely contain their excitement. They had dressed and prepared breakfast for themselves before I even crawled out of bed. At their young ages, my daughters have fallen in love with the church and the […]
In a recent BA and quarterly, I’ve seen Sabbath described as a gift. Does this mean that Sabbathkeeping is optional? Let’s begin with the first part of the question. Are we justified in calling the Sabbath a gift? New covenant Christians consider not only God’s commandment but also His intent for the Sabbath. Similarly, […]
For years, there has been this accusing voice in the back of my head telling me that no matter how much I’m doing, it’s not enough. Like all lies, there’s truth in this. No matter how much I do, five seconds on my newsfeed is enough to jar me with words and images that […]
When my life gets out of balance, I start to have a lot in common with the tomatoes in my family garden. Left to their natural inclinations, these tomatoes flop to the ground in a clump, falling far short of the health they’re capable of enjoying. The fruit that should be blessing my family and […]
Exhausted from a long, demanding day, Joseph feels his body begin to release stress and his mind struggle to let go of its seemingly endless list of responsibilities. It’s almost Sunday, he tells himself. Maybe I’ll finally get a chance to rest. The sad irony is that this is a relatable situation for many pastors, ministry leaders, […]
Exhausted from a long, demanding day, Joseph feels his body begin to release stress and his mind struggle to let go of its seemingly endless list of responsibilities. It’s almost Sunday, he tells himself. Maybe I’ll finally get a chance to rest. The sad irony is that this is a relatable situation for many pastors, […]
Most people of faith learn that the Bible’s Sabbath day is rooted in its first chapter. We could tell the world, if we would, that God made everything in six days, then ceased His creation work and blessed the seventh as part of His plan from the start (Genesis 2:1-3). The weekly Sabbath was a […]
