Over the last several years I’ve had conversations with my friend, Pastor Drew Anderson, about what it means to participate in Sabbath. Too often this conversation becomes about taking time off or going on vacation. And while this may be a part of what it means to take Sabbath, this is not the primary emphasis for this idea. I have been struck by the fact … Continue reading Lent 2022 | Day 15: Rested
The word bless is one we don’t use very much in our culture or in the church anymore. One of the reasons is we no longer have a clear understanding of its purpose. The idea of blessing is often attributed to what happens before a meal or after someone sneezes. But this is a radical diminishing of the purpose of the blessing. When the Bible … Continue reading Lent 2022 | Day 9: Bless
I was reading this morning in 1 Peter and came across these two verses. “For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” (1 Peter 3:17, ESV) “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” (1 Peter 4:19, ESV) Peter seems to imply that … Continue reading Worshiping God when suffering IS a part of His plan.
You did not misread the title. Before I tell you what an unhappy blessing, I want to brag on a couple of the young ladies in my youth group. They led us in bible study during last night’s youth meeting and their subject was “Blessings.” They talked about the things that they were thankful to God for and the reasons that they saw these events, moments and situations as blessings. The other members participated and it was interesting to hear what they had to say.
They then turned the conversation to those events, moments and situations that do not feel like blessings when they are happening, but because of them we are drawn closer to God. They talked about how they struggled with what to call this and finally settled on the phrase “unhappy blessing.” Continue reading “Thank God For “Unhappy” Blessings”
