Up the Sunbeam

-- "Without fail." Quietly, fiercely, almost to himself, he answered her question. It was only two words, just one soft-spoken answer delivered by Denzell Washington's character in the movie  The Book of Eli , but it has echoed in my heart ever since. A young woman, who knew nothing of such things, had asked him whether he read the book every day . . .  the book he treasured above all else, including his life. [Spoiler Alert] I don't want to give too much away if you haven't seen the movie, but this very special book was none other than the last remaining copy of the Bible in a post-apocalyptic world. This scene, and maybe the whole movie, put a fine point on thoughts my Father had been laying before me all week. First, last Sunday when our pastor spoke of using his phone and a Bible app to listen to the Bible being read out loud, and how important it is to personally eat this daily bread even for pastors who study it as their vocation. That made me th...

-- Brokenness. Brokenness is quite a favorite word in some circles of Christendom these days.  Google it and you'll find pages of results to scroll through. It seems to have many uses and multiple definitions according to the people who are passionate about it. People submit to it, aspire to it, seek it, and try to hasten it. I'm not sure all of them are on the right track. There are a number of passages in the Bible that people point to as their basis for their commitment to brokenness, but I'm concerned that there may be some misunderstanding and misapplication afoot. Our understanding of the person of God through our study of His word is about as important as it gets for our Christian walk, not only for ourselves, but for the people who don't know Him yet--what does our understanding of God say to the people who know us?  It is vital that we present God as accurately as we know how to a world of people who are predisposed by our postmodern culture to be ...

-- I've been doing a lot of thinking  . . . about thinking. My thinking pours out my doing. The funny thing is, not all my thoughts are right out in the open and intentional.  Some of them play in the background like some kind of freakish and unwelcome elevator music--you know, the kind where you spend the rest of the day trying to get some dopey song like "Feelings" out of your head (my apologies if there is anyone out there who still likes that song).  I can't quite figure out why it is that the thoughts I purposely think, the beliefs I actively WANT to come to fruition in my life too often fall flat, and this junk under the radar effortlessly becomes my reality.  Paul knew my frustration,when he lamented, "18b For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.    19a For what I do is not the good I want to do;" Romans 7:18-19 NIV It always seems like the unintentional thoughts have more power over what I do than t...

-- Love letters are the stuff of story books, fairy tales, movies and songs. Kept and treasured for years, worn with frequent handling, love letters are more precious to the loved one than gold or jewels or riches. Read and reread, pored over and memorized, love letters pour love from one heart to another. I find love letters from God all the time! He has this endearing habit of designing hearts into His creation, and then He waits and watches to see if I'll find them . . . and notice. Here are a couple of the recent love letters I've found: There is another love letter that is my favorite one of all. This one is filled with so much love it is sixty-six books long, detailing a love like no other, and written just for me . . . and you . . . and anyone willing to be loved. This love letter is the passionate expression of a completely sacrificial, nothing-held-back, all or nothing, utterly incomprehensible love to outshine all loves! This letter lays bare th...