Our Father, Which Art in Heaven
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Even though this name has been so misused, misapplied, and misappropriated throughout history.
Inspiration
The Airport Aviary: Departures, Arrivals, and Other Human Migrations
I wonder who is watching me right now.
Someone must be watching me because I, too, am watching others. I am in the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport. We are leaving Spain after spending the better part of a month here. And I am engaging in my second favorite pastime: people-watching.
Make A Wish
I don’t know how I got into this. No, wait. I remember.
My wife, that’s how I got into this. That’s how every crazy, halfcocked idea in my life starts. With her. Bungee jumping in Mexico is only one example.
Waiting For A Train In Spain: Confessions of a Biped
We had a three-hour layover in Santiago de Compostela where we had nothing to do but sit in an outdoor cafe, downtown, watching hordes of pilgrims arrive at the cathedral and publicly rejoice in Santiago Square.
With God’s Help—New Life
A faithful church grows not by human strength or pride, but by continually seeking God’s guidance and trusting Him to bring new life to both the congregation and the community.
Dispatches Del Camino
It is among the grandest churches in the world. It is one of the greatest achievements of man that took so long to build that architectural periods changed several times throughout its construction.
Even so, when you walk into Santiago de Compostela the first thing you see is not the cathedral. You neither see the gilded grandeur, nor the ornate.
The first things you see are pilgrims.
All Things Work Together For Good
In my previous two messages, I’ve shared the history of how Wisconsin Christian News came to be. Because we’re now praising the Lord for the start of our 27th year of publishing, I wanted to share with you what this journey has been like.
Dispatches Del Camino
Lugo, Spain, is a mini metropolis compared to the remoteness of the Camino Primitivo. For days we have been hiking in isolated mountains and faraway countrysides. It’s startling to see a city suddenly emerge from the landscape.
Dispatches Del Camino
Rain. It never stops coming. Rain, rain, rain. Sometimes it seems like all it does is rain.
It’s been raining for two days now on the Camino Primitivo. And there is no end in sight. Spanish news channels on television, which are wonderful media organizations whose reporters dress exquisitely, speak rapidly, and replay the same four news stories every six minutes, are predicting rain each day this week.
Uninspired
Even in seasons of mental exhaustion and spiritual dryness, God remains faithful, offering rest, grace, and quiet strength to weary hearts.
Dispatches del Camino
We find a table in the old Spanish café and order two cafés con leche. I order our breakfast by repeatedly tapping the menus and saying in English, “Uh, I’m sorry, I don’t know this word…”
My waitress finds my ordering technique amusing.
Make a Joyful Noise!
Worship is the way that we show reverence, respect, and love for our God. And music is one of the wonderful ways that we can worship!
When Pollen Preaches
What first seems like an aggravation can become a reminder that God is often at work through the very things we are tempted to resent.
“Which Color Do You Want?”
The little boy was already on this plane when we boarded. He has a backpack bigger than he is. And a stuffed animal. He is maybe seven years old.
We passengers can hear him talking to anyone within earshot. He is loud. He is chatty. He does not use an indoor voice.
The kid is nothing but friendly.
What’s Your Plumb Line?
Were the good ol’ days as good as we remember them? What do we worship in a secular world? We need to find a new plumb line.
Three Knots, No Excuses: The Lost Skill That Still Saves Lives
There was a time—not that long ago—when a man who couldn’t tie a knot was considered about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. Today, we’ve got people carrying $1,200 smartphones, satellite GPS, and enough titanium gadgets clipped to their belt to look like a walking REI catalog… and they can’t tie a loop that won’t slip under load.
Bedside Manner: A Message from the Other Side
She helped people die. Or maybe you’d say she helped them transition to the other side—whatever that means. She’s not a big believer in “the other side.”
Either way, she’s been helping people pass away for a long time. She has seen more death than most.
Faith in the In-Between
In the silent, confusing days after the Crucifixion, the disciples wrestled with grief, fear, and doubt—yet God was already preparing the resurrection they could not yet see.
Ride ‘em Cowboy: Notes From a Grown-Up Little Boy
6 million Americans watched the historic event on television. The Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, is estimated to return to Earth at 8:07 P.M. The little boy who lives inside me can hardly contain himself.