At a recent Christmas party I was blessed to hear a group of men singing “We Three Kings” with great enthusiasm! The lyrics reminded me of an article I recently read in Christianity Today about the Star of Bethlehem. It seems that biblical scholar Colin R. Nicholl is taking a shot at explaining the mystery […]
Archive | Holy Habits
Jane’s Blog – Holy Habits – Community Life
Several years ago I visited the ruins of Ephesus on a trip “in the footsteps of Paul.” This location, where both the Apostles Paul and John lived, worked and taught, was at one time “an emporium that had few equals in the world” (NIV Introduction to Ephesians). It was the home of the temple of […]
Jane’s Blog – Holy Habits, Part 3a, Fellowship and Community Life
If you stop by the Connect Kiosk this Sunday in the Fellowship Hall you’ll notice that my display of artistic elements has changed from Stewardship to Fellowship and Community Life. November easily speaks to these two Holy Habits, doesn’t it? But for me, it takes the prize as my favorite month of the year, first, […]
Jane’s Blog – Holy Habits, Part 2c, The Widow’s Offering
Did you know that Jesus had more to say about money than prayer? Take, for example, the story of “The Widow’s Offering.” Found in both the Gospel of Mark (Mark 12:41-44) and again in Luke (Luke 21:1-4), Jesus tells us of a widow whose temple treasury offering blessed him so much that it was worthy […]
Jane’s Blog – Holy Habits, Part 2b, The Rich Fool
If you’ve been by PLC’s Connect Kiosk recently you’ve seen our display of “barn” art, piggy banks (Thanks, Thrivent!), and a beautiful, large nature scene painted by our Alpha Administrator Dana Kloo. Each piece is meant to challenge us to go deeper in our thinking about the Holy Habit of “Stewardship.” Did you know that […]
Jane’s Blog – Holy Habits, Part 2a, The Rich Fool
October is the month when farmers are out in their fields from dawn to dusk harvesting their crops. In the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21), Jesus tells us of a rich man whose field produced a bumper crop. But first, there’s a question by “someone in the crowd” that prompts Jesus to tell […]
Jane’s Blog Holy Habits, Part 1e
“Martha, Martha,” Jesus says gently during one of the most heated moments in all of Scripture, to my way of thinking (Luke 10:41). Martha has just exploded in a room full of disciples and her sister Mary, sitting at Jesus’ feet as he is teaching. “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me […]
Jane’s Blog – Holy Habits, Part 1d
It was a question that sent me on a search: “Wasn’t Mary one of the women who was at the cross?” my husband asked this morning. He had just read my last blog post where I stated that Mary (Martha’s sister) was only mentioned three times in the Bible, and he remembered that “Mary” was […]
Jane’s Blog – Holy Habits, Part 1c
You guess it…the story of Martha and Mary is still on my mind. Only this time, I’m thinking about Mary. We actually know very little about her, although she’s mentioned in two other places in scripture. Did she live with Martha? Was she known as a ‘slacker’ when it came to housework? How did she […]
Jane’s Blog – Holy Habits, Part 1b
Sometimes the Lord just won’t leave me alone! In this regard lately, He keeps bugging me about the story of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42) and how their actions relate to this month’s spiritual discipline (Holy Habit) of “Bible Study and Meditation on Scripture.” These two sisters, according to what I’m hearing from the Lord, […]