Scripture Reading — Romans 5:12-19The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. — 1 Corinthians 15:47Have you ever played the game “Grab the Bacon?” Two teams face each other in an open field, and a sock or towel (th

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 2:10-18“They will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). — Matthew 1:23After the First World War, British soldiers returned from the front lines devastated. Many were shell-shocked, disfigured, wounded, and

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 2:4-7“Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected. . . .’” — Acts 4:11Rejection. We see it when grandparents are cut off from grandkids over politics. Or when siblings haven’t spoken in years. In the church, a differe

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 53:3-5A man of suffering, and familiar with pain . . . he took up our pain and bore our suffering. . . . — Isaiah 53:3-4What gives hope when our hearts break?Five years ago, my sister-in-law, only 47 years old, died

Scripture Reading — Luke 22:24-27“I am among you as one who serves.” — Luke 22:27When I began attending a university, I was amazed at a group of seniors (one of them my future sister-in-law) who invited the university president to come to a do

Scripture Reading — Revelation 5I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne. . . . — Revelation 5:6A large painting in my living room takes up half a wall. It portrays a lion and a lamb lying down togeth

Scripture Reading — John 6:26-35, 47-51“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry. . . .” — John 6:35In a book titled The American Paradox: Spiritual Hunger in an Age of Plenty, David Meyers wrote: “We buy more, but enjo