Tag: speech

  • Star Light Star Bright

    Star Light Star Bright

    Changing the general tenor [of the conversations] isn’t our job, nor is it our responsibility. It is our tenor that is our responsibility.

  • Repair and Refine

    Repair and Refine

    Psalm 84; 2 Chronicles 29:1–11, 16–19; Hebrews 9:23–28 A few days ago, we read about Jesus cleansing the Temple. As noted, then, prophets doing “over-the-top” things weren’t totally unexpected. Generally, it was uncomfortable, but God’s true prophets weren’t known to bring comfort without discomfort. Sometimes amid human depravity, a person bursts out of the decay…

  • Storms of Dust

    Storms of Dust

    No one in their right mind would want to bring into something new all the tattered, worn out, bloody, hateful stuff into something beautifully new. It’s good that the old will be gone.

  • What A Sight

    What A Sight

    The talking animal was more along the lines of, “Yes, you (Balaam) said you heard me (God), but you need to understand how important it is that you actually listen to me!”

  • Heart of God, Speak

    Heart of God, Speak

    Deuteronomy 18:15–20; Mark 1:21–28 Prophetic speech is not unique to the Judeo-Christian community, not by a long shot. In the current world, there are many forms of prophetic voice. A short list (i.e., not exhaustive) of prophetic voices: environmental collapse; sustainability (related, but not the same as environmental collapse); gender identification; minority redress (including, but…

  • Live Freely

    Live Freely

    1 Corinthians 6:12–20; John 1:43–51 In the US, freedom is a significant cultural word. Often, we use language such as “free country”. The Declaration of Independence is quoted most often with, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,…

  • Purple Vision

    Purple Vision

    Numbers 27:15–23; 2 Timothy 2:8–13 Having worked for family-owned and -run businesses, I know that one of the business’ concerns is, who’s next? Perhaps it might be better to say that the success of a family-owned and -run business is who will successfully lead it with vision and tenacity once the current leadership steps down.…

  • Evangel

    Evangel

    Luke 1:68–80; Ephesians 4:7–16 Many years ago, there was campaign against man-caused forest fires. The campaign “starred” a little bear cub that, while burned, survived a man-caused forest fire. The tagline for the campaign was, “Only YOU can prevent forest fires.” From a strict understanding, of course, it’s not just you that can prevent forest…