Raise Your Hand
The St. Olaf Choir from Northfield, Minnesota, is renowned for making beautiful music. One reason for its excellence is the selection process. Applicants are chosen based not only on how well they sing but also on how they sound as part of the whole. Another reason is that all members agree to make the choir their first priority and commit to a rigorous rehearsal and performance schedule.
One of the things that intrigues me the most about this choir is what happens during rehearsals. Whenever members make a mistake, they raise their hand. Instead of trying to hide the blunder, they…
The Day My Sister Got Married
Ever since my sister got attached, I have been anticipating her wedding and the prospect of her starting a family. Imagine my joy when my sister told me that her boyfriend had proposed to her.
A praise song about bitterness
Typically, we think worship music should express our love, joy, or gratitude to God. That’s why the lyrics of Psalm 73 can be a bit shocking. Join us on “Discover the Word” today for an eye-opening conversation.
Craving A Father’s Love
I always feel a tinge of envy whenever I see a doting father chatting and laughing with his child. I have never had such happy memories. When I was 11 years old, my parents divorced after my father had an affair.
Christ the Redeemer
The famous statue Christ the Redeemer overlooks the city of Rio de Janeiro. The statue is a model of Christ with His arms extended so that His body forms the shape of a cross. Brazilian architect Heitor da Silva Costa designed the figure. He imagined that the city’s residents would see it as the first image to emerge from the darkness at dawn. At dusk, he hoped the city dwellers would view the setting sun as a halo behind the statue’s head.
There is value in keeping our eyes on our Redeemer each day, during the good times and the difficult…
Why is life so unfair?
If life were fair, good people would always be rewarded and bad people would always be punished. But life rarely ends up that way. Join us today as we take a tour of Psalm 73, which provides a biblical perspective on the unfairness of life.
From Whining to Winning
Growing up in a traditional family in the Philippines, I, being the youngest, bore the duty of running errands for the family. These usually involved purchasing spices, sauces, cigarettes or worse, sanitary napkins for my sisters from convenience stores.
Rescuing the Reluctant
Many years ago during a water safety class, we were taught how to save a drowning person who is resisting rescue. “Approach the person from behind,” the instructor told us. “Place one arm across the person’s chest and flailing arms, and swim toward safety. If you approach from the front, the person may grab you and pull both of you down.” Panic and fear can paralyze the ability to think and act wisely.
When two angels sent by God came to rescue Lot and his family from the impending destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:12-13), they…
A Voice in the Night
Psalm 134 has only three verses, but it is proof that little things can mean a lot. The first two verses are an admonition to the priests who serve in God’s house night after night. The building was dark and empty; nothing of consequence was occurring—or so it seemed. Yet these ministers were encouraged to “lift up [their] hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!” (v. 2 esv). The third verse is a voice from the congregation calling into the darkness and loneliness of the night: “The Lord who made heaven and earth bless you.”
I think of…
The Whole Story
Recently my 5-year-old grandson, Dallas, asked, “Why did Jesus die on the cross?” So we had a little talk. I explained to him about sin and Jesus’ willingness to be our sacrifice. Then he ran off to play.
A few minutes later, I overheard him talking to his 5-year-old cousin, Katie, explaining to her why Jesus died. Katie said to him, “But Jesus isn’t dead.” Dallas replied, “Yes. He’s dead. Grampy told me. He died on the cross.”
I realized I hadn’t completed the story. So we had another talk as I explained to Dallas that Jesus rose from the…
Learning to Accept My Broken Family
“My biggest mistake in life is marrying you!” Since I was in kindergarten, I would often hear my parents hurl that statement at each other; they fought right before our eyes.
Do you need a place of escape?
We all need a place of safety to run to, a place where we can find shelter from the storms of life. Join us today as we discover a true sanctuary from trouble in Psalm 55.
Hidden Mysteries
Most of what goes on in the universe we never see. Many things are too small or move too fast or even too slow for us to see. Using modern technology, however, filmmaker Louis Schwartzberg is able to show stunning video images of some of those things—a caterpillar’s mouth, the eye of a fruit fly, the growth of a mushroom.
Our limited ability to see the awesome and intricate detail of things in the physical world reminds us that our ability to see and understand what’s happening in the spiritual realm is equally limited. God is at work all around…
Discover the backstory to Psalm 55
The Psalms express feelings of joy and pain we’ve all experienced. That may be why they’re loved by so many people. Join us on “Discover the Word” today as we dive into Psalm 55, a song about the agony of betrayal.
