In a voice trembling with suffering and grief, Job cried out to God, whom he felt had unjustly allowed a series of tragedies to befall him. A righteous man, he believed he had been wrongly treated and deserved better. He did not just complain to his friends; he was so distressed that he wanted GodContinue reading “Inexhaustible Questions”
Tag Archives: Old Testament
Sense or Senseless?
“Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea.” (Ecclesiastes 1) That statement is a fragmented thought from King Solomon’s larger assessment of life’s meaningless monotony. Despite power and wealth, both Solomon and his father, King David, expressedContinue reading “Sense or Senseless?”
Does Peace Have a Chance?
John Lennon’s lyrics of “All we are saying is give peace a chance” “are familiar to those who remember the antiwar songs of the sixty’s. It may seem cynical to say, but history has proven that world peace will always be an elusive, utopian ideal. There is no trust among those who seek power andContinue reading “Does Peace Have a Chance?”
Calm Winds, Easy Seas, and Full Sails
Calm winds, easy seas, and full sails bring to mind the Message’s paraphrase of Psalm 84:12! All sunshine and sovereign is God, generous in gifts and glory.He doesn’t scrimp with his traveling companions. It’s smooth sailing all the way with God-of-the-Angel-Armies. (MSG) To those who have been through deep waters of hurt and suffering orContinue reading “Calm Winds, Easy Seas, and Full Sails”
More Precious than Gold?
In 1923 Robert Frost wrote the short poem “Nothing Gold can Stay”. Nature’s first green is gold,Her hardest hue to hold.Her early leaf’s a flower;But only so an hour.Then leaf subsides to leaf.So Eden sank to grief,So dawn goes down to day.Nothing gold can stay. The poem beautifully but sadly states the ancient lament thatContinue reading “More Precious than Gold?”
A Question of Legacy
In a recent article titled “Your Legacy”, Richard Simmons III asked the question , “What do you want to be remembered for?” He said that “Once your earthly life is over, your reputation will become your legacy.” Then he quoted from author David Brooks book The Road to Character in which the author differentiates betweenContinue reading “A Question of Legacy”
Journeying Through the Mist
The day was promising, the forecast favorable. The sun was burning it’s way through lifting fog. All information pointed to a good sailing day. The Captain gave the order. So the sails were hoisted. Decision making is a familiar, daily but complicated process although it may be either instantaneous or prolonged depending on urgency orContinue reading “Journeying Through the Mist”
A Promise for Safe Passage
Someone has said that “A ship is safe in harbor, but that is not where it is meant to be…” Sometimes safety is prudent, and “sticking close to home” is wise when we are unable to fully define the course ahead. However, timidity can be diminishing. Our personal world will not expand until we pushContinue reading “A Promise for Safe Passage”
Unrepeatable History
This photograph suggests there is merit in the adage “History repeats itself.” However, even though the old painting on the wall and the current photo of the man in the window are similar, they are not replicas. In this case, there are not only different men, different flags, and different boats, but technology has intervened.Continue reading “Unrepeatable History”
What Saith the Heron?
Sitting on the river’s edge at dusk watching and listening to heron fish and squawk, I wonder what messages they are conveying to each other. Creature communications are complex, but the idea that God speaks to us is vastly more intriguing and mysterious. In the Bible narrative, God made His purposes known in visions andContinue reading “What Saith the Heron?”
Sweet Words from Maine 