Memorize in the Morning
This past weekend, Rabbi Rich Nichol made a particular point that struck me, in the context of family and parenting. He said, “Memorize in the morning.” That is, when their kids were young, he and his wife Sue made it a family tradition to spend a few minutes each morning memorizing passages from the Scriptures. […]
Peace from the Ashes
Note: This post is an extended version of the comments I made at church a couple weeks ago. Many of us have heard of the “peace that transcends all understanding,” from one of the most famous snippets of the New Testament: “and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and […]
Three Spiritual Stories
Yesterday was the last Sunday that Pastor John preached at CPC. It was a very emotional occasion. He’s leaving, and not because he or his family really wanted to. That’s a different story, which I hope to tell someday. For now, I’m too close to it to see it clearly. I will say, however, a […]
All About “Becomingâ€: An Interview with Linda Boulanger
Today, I’ve invited Linda Boulanger to visit me in my virtual living room, to talk about her latest book Becoming, which is a collection of inspirational, faith-based short-short stories. Hi, Linda. Hi, Tim! Becoming starts with a story about a young woman whose father bails her out of jail, which will inevitably have political repercussions […]
Wearing Haman’s Hat
This past Saturday night began the Jewish holiday of Purim. Since Saturday was also the Sabbath, after morning services and lunch at our synagogue, we had games for the kids, crafts, a class on the book of Esther, a Jewish folk dancing class, pizza. Then we had evening services, followed by reading the story of […]
A Song to Bring Peace (Music Video)
One of my FaceBook friends posted this music video of an Israeli pop song by drummer Gil Ladin, and it quickly captivated my ear. I wasted enough time listening to it that I figured it demanded it’s own blog post. The words of the chorus are based on an old Hebrew prayer: Establish peace, goodness, […]
Christian Fiction, What’s Wrong with It?
Sunday, a friend of mine in church was wearing a T-shirt from a band I didn’t recognize. I asked, “Who are they? Is that a Christian band?” “Well,” he said, “they’re a bunch of Christians who are in a band, but they’re not a Christian band.” I understood immediately. “Like I’m a Christian who writes […]
Shoeboxes Full of Gifts
Yes, maybe Thanksgiving Comes First, but in this case, we actually do need to get started on the Christmas stuff early. This year, as last, my church is participating in Operation Christmas Child, an annual charity drive conducted by Christian charity Samaritan’s Purse. Each year before Thanksgiving, Samaritan’s Purse collects wrapped shoeboxes, each packed with […]
A Hebrew Medley (video): Ayts Chaim/Hashivenu
Here’s a simple Hebrew medley I want to teach the King’s Court Choir at CPC. I recorded a quick video with my guitar—actually, with my daughter’s cheapo short-neck—so they can hear how the song goes.
The Psychology of Worship Music
Isn’t it amazing, with the amount of time we as Christians spend in worship, and especially singing in worship, that we understand so little about it. This thought strikes me now, just a couple nights away from the next “In the Deep” (Saturday night, at which I’ll be subbing on bass, because their usual bassist […]