Soul Sister Time

Recent days have revealed the worst in people on social media.  My Facebook feed that was once filled with cute babies and fun vacations pictures has become a venue for crude debate and accusation. I have found myself amazed at the comments from people I admire and people I know in a different setting to be level-headed and kind as they share their views about the political changes in America.  If an alien were reporting back to his planet about what how people with different opinions treated one another, he would have an unfavorable report to make for sure.  The culture of the United States has moved far away from the instructions God gives us in His word about how to live.  Even our churches are yielding to the culture and slipping from the orthodox teaching of the Bible handed down to us from the Apostles.  Rather than calling Christians out of a former way of life and live a life transformed by the Holy Spirit inside of you, the church is ignoring the reality of God’s call

              In his famous book, Confessions , one of the books I believe every Christian should read, Augustine states: The familiar evil was more powerful than the unfamiliar good .  The context for this statement was his description of how he finally relinquished his soul to the care of God and became a Christian.  Augustine was so entrenched in his life of sin that he struggled to give up his mistress and other vices in order to surrender to God.               Once he yielded to the power of God, the unfamiliar good became a way of life.  He became one of the most influential Christians writers, and his books are still relevant today. As I re-read his salvation story in Confessions , I recognized that I could relate to his statement even as a Christian.  Evil remains too familiar to me.  I am not talking about the familiar evil that Augustine was caught up in as a man of the world.  I have long given up outward rebellion from the obvious constraints that are given in God’s

              I love that it is the Apostle Peter who insists the absurdity that we can be holy as God is holy in his letter to Christians (1 Peter 1:10— For it is written:  Be holy, because I am holy ).  Peter of all the apostles had a hard time pulling off holy.               A rough fisherman with a big mouth, he was the guy who was always getting himself in trouble by saying what was on everyone else’s mind.  Jesus rebuked him more than once—when Peter told him that he would not die on the cross, Jesus said Get behind me Satan (Matt.6:23)!  When Jesus wanted to wash Peter’s feet, he refused at first (John 13:8); when Jesus was surrendering to the soldiers, Peter cut off one of their slave's ears causing Jesus to heal one last time on the way to the cross (Matt. 26:51).  Of course, the most famous failure of Peter was his denial of Christ three times before the rooster crowed (Matt. 26:74).  Even Peter wasn’t sure he could come back from that which is precisely why Jesus g

Jesus came to save us from sin and death and so much more.  William of Saint Thierry wrote:  For us to serve you is nothing else but to be saved by you .  When I read it, I realized how true this statement is in my life.  My salvation is not fully experienced here on earth unless I am loving and serving God.  When I serve Him, I am being saved from my own inclinations.  Serving God saves me in a deeper way. This definitely happens on every mission trip I have ever experienced.  The divine economy is always played out.  I come with my affluence and knowledge of Scripture to poor souls who need what I bring.  It is only in bringing what I think I have that I realize that it is nothing compared to what they have to give to me.  And they don’t stop giving.  When I put it in proportion to my capabilities, it is sobering. God saves me from wasted time when I am caught up in obsessive thoughts that produce anger, worry or selfishness.  He does this by exposing how I am only hurting mys

              Have you ever received a rich welcome?  I can think of many welcomes I have received.  I have received dutiful welcomes—you know the kind where the person is forced to allow you into their home either from some kind of business or family obligation.  The door opens to you; you are not blocked from entrance, but you know that you are really not wanted .  No one is really excited that you have finally arrived, in fact the homeowners are more likely looking forward to the end of your visit than they are to your arrival.  I have received a warm welcome, the kind where someone is very touched that you have come into their world.  That person is happy to see you come and sad when you must leave.  I have received startled welcomes and shy welcomes.  I have received an unkind welcome when someone has literally slammed the door in my face, but I can’t say that I have received the kind of welcome that Peter says God longs to give me when I reach heaven.  Peter describes what is