Before all time, God hovered over the abyss, brooding. We don’t know for how long. In a world of time, it may have been eons. Like an artist before a blank canvas, with eyes closed, breathing deeply, imagining every detail before even dipping his brush. And then he begins. For five and a half days, God’s creation takes shape. Then, day six, the creation of man and woman. There are two ways to...
A Million to One
Every ache is telling us something important, but we miss it. It’s not that we don’t try. Goodness knows, we attempt a million varieties of pleasure to address the ache. But few ever hear what the ache is really after. Jesus hears the ache clearly. Why? Because he put it there. Let me say that again: Jesus put the ache in us. And he wants to satisfy it. As we suspend our demand for the million...
Honoring the Ache
Every age has its own set of unquestioned presuppositions. Here’s one in our day: Getting what you want quickly is better than having to wait.This is why advertisers boast of faster internet, quicker results, shorter lines, easier access, top speeds, and fewer commercials. Going without what you want produces an ache. When you get what you want, the ache goes away. This is why we pay a high...
Sacred Sex
“I was like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.” Sir Isaac Newton I love seashells. My affection for them began as a boy growing up in Cleveland, Ohio. Unfortunately, Lake Erie is not known for its beautiful shells, so I saved my pennies and...
More than a Lovely Fraction
Two of our most basic, human needs are this: to be known and to be loved. But something’s got many of us convinced you can’t have both. So we expend lots of energy hiding those parts of ourselves that are unlovely. And we work really hard to succeed (at business, parenting, athleticism, ministry, Bible study, you name it) because we think it will make us lovely and so, worthy of love. The sad...
Hope for Sexual Sinners
If you’re pursuing sexual integrity, one of the worst things you can do is try to keep the sexually sinful parts of you from the God of Christmas. Those are some of the places that need him the most. Here’s what I mean: We know intuitively there is something deep and good and wonderful about humanity. It’s a distinct glory—something different than the stars in the sky and different...