Farm Song of the Good Shepherd

"The Lord is my Shepherd" (Ps. 23:1).Not long ago, a farmer in our congregation offered me a sack full of his commodities. This included tomatoes, apples, farm-fresh eggs and a frozen package of lamb ...

A Favorite Psalm of Praise

"May people tell of Your wondrous deeds" (Ps. 75:1).If there is one thing teenagers need in their lives, it is praise. Everyone needs a pat on the back, a good word, an accolade from time to time. For this...

Salt Shakers in the World

"You are the salt of the earth" (Matt. 5:13, NRSV).In southern Indiana, there is a limestone quarry, the largest in the world. Most of the finest quality limestone is cut from this massive shelf of limestone, a...

Kingdom Come for Christ Followers

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:10, NRSV).At a recent youth ministry conference, one of the speakers related a story about her years o...

Called to Be Peacemakers

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matt. 5:9, NRSV).When we think of peacemakers, we often consider illustrious names such as Ghandi or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.m but in th...

What Do You See?

"Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions" (Acts 1:17, NRSV).In 1983, while I was serving as a student pastor in rural North Carolina, there was a young girl in our yout...

Improving Our Integrity

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Matt. 5:8).A few weeks ago, my grandmother celebrated her 100th birthday. Or, perhaps I should say our family celebrated. Although my grandmother did not ...

The Prisoner

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy" (Matt. 5:7).He was prisoner number 46664 and he served a 27-year sentence—18 of those years in forced hard labor, shackled to rock. He was given a ...

Back Home

"After these things, Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples by the sea of Tiberias" (John 21:1).The Gospel of John ends with the disciples in Galilee. After hearing the news that Jesus has risen, they retu...