Focused on Christ
By Lee Magness Many of us call the meal “the Lord’s Supper” (1 Corinthians 11:20), but the Greek word translated “Lord’s” is not a possessive noun, but a descriptive adjective. Although the meal does...
View ArticleThanksgiving in All Circumstances
By Manndi Maphies Wilkins This time of year is always festive. Spirits seem a little brighter and thanksgiving flows freely in our hearts. Or does it? While some look forward to huge family...
View ArticleObserving Back Sunday
By Doug Redford These days, Black Friday seems to get more attention than Thanksgiving! Some years ago, a newspaper (in its Black Friday edition) featured an article that was headlined, “Consider...
View ArticleShowing Up
By Jill Richardson The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 is striking. Not only does it include four women, something no one of his era would think to do, but, oh, what women he includes! All four can...
View ArticleYour Picture on His Tree
By Doug Redford As Christmas draws near, many websites and newspapers will list various places in your area where you can go and cut down your own Christmas tree. Some people will remember what it...
View ArticleHave You Seen Me?
By Doug Redford On December 24, 1961, a cartoonist at the Louisville Courier-Journal, Hugh Haynie, published a cartoon that has been repeated in that newspaper on Christmas Eve ever since (though...
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Traveling by Starlight
(This Communion Meditation originally appeared online in December 2012.) By Lee Magness For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but...
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Looking Back and Looking Forward
By H. Lynn Gardner Certain events invite us to both look back and look forward—graduations, weddings, New Year’s Day. At these times we consider the significance of the past and anticipate the future....
View ArticleThe Crux of the Matter
By Doug Redford Do you like to do crossword puzzles? If so, that makes you a cruciverbalist: an impressive sounding word that describes anyone who enjoys creating or solving crossword puzzles. The...
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An Exceptional Table
By Doug Redford On August 28, 1963, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his memorable “I Have a Dream” speech to a crowd gathered before the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. during the...
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Staying Cross-Eyed
By Doug Redford Doug was in the seventh grade when he first realized he was having problems with his vision. He was having to squint to see what was written on the blackboard—a sure sign he needed...
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Sharing a Meal, Sharing a Life
By Doug Redford Not long ago, a newspaper article carried this headline: “Why God Is Good at Frisch’s.” The writer observed how restaurants like Frisch’s Big Boy have always been places for people to...
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Obeying Regardless of the Consequences
By Jim Nieman In an article* for Christian Standard from 1967, Christian church theologian Jack Cottrell, who died in September 2022, contended that—and this is a paraphrase—the fear that something...
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The Heart of the Matter
By Doug Redford The most familiar symbol of Valentine’s Day is the heart. The word heart is used numerous times in the Bible, not usually to describe the physical heart that pumps blood throughout...
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On Being the First
By Doug Redford This year, Monday, February 20, will be observed as Presidents’ Day; however, Wednesday, February 22, marks the actual birthday of our first president, George Washington. Clarence B....
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You Have to Be There
By Doug Redford Early in 2020 (before COVID-19 began to affect what we could do and where we could go), our family attended a Broadway version of The Lion King. The Sunday before performances...
View ArticleBreaking News
By Doug Redford Many evening news programs begin with an announcement of “breaking news”; typically it’s a story that has just recently occurred or come to light and thus deserves being covered first...
View ArticleJesus’ Bucket List
By Doug Redford Most people are familiar with the term “bucket list,” which describes a list of things a person wants to accomplish (places to visit, people to see, etc.) before they “kick the...
View ArticleAmazing Authority
By Stuart Powell In 1982, Mother Teresa was invited to speak at Harvard University’s commencement. On June 10 of that year, the diminutive Nobel laureate stood before an unusually large crowd of...
View ArticleReverse the Curse
By Doug Redford Since Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is this Thursday, I’ll start with a baseball story. When the Boston Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series, many...
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