Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. Its themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe an approximate 25 hours of fasting and intensive prayer in response to Mosaic law: “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must…
Author: Pam R
J. I. Packer
James Innell Packer (22 July 1926 – 17 July 2020) was an English-born Canadian evangelical theologian, cleric and writer in the low-church Anglican and Calvinist traditions. He was considered one of the most influential evangelicals in North America. He was a contributor to Christianity Today, where I briefly worked as a receptionist. “Call me Jim,” he said with a smile as he shook…
“Who Am I?”
Grace, Please
Grace: the free and unmerited favor of God, manifested in salvation and blessings. Through this man we all receive gifts of grace beyond our imagination. You see, Moses gave us rules to live by, but Jesus the Anointed offered us gifts of grace and truth. John 1:16-17 The Voice “In the New Testament, grace means God’s love in action toward people who…
Simple Pleasures …
… Are Life’s Treasures Sunrise or sunset Watching clouds float by Stargazing at night A cloudless sky A bright full moon Fireworks Flowering trees and shrubs Vibrant autumn foliage A newly-fallen blanket of snow Warm, fresh-baked cookies A peanut butter and jelly sandwich Good chocolate A cold drink on a hot summer day A hot…
Patriot Day
We Remember Adapted from a post on September 11, 2019 by Pam R September 11, our nation’s day of affliction, has become a day of remembrance. Yet I worry that as time passes we forget the horror, the sorrow of that day, and completely lose the incredible unity we felt as those events unfolded. We who were alive…
Judging
“Judge not, lest you be judged.” Jesus’s words are often understood as, “Don’t judge anyone for anything at anytime.” Those same words are often hurled as a weapon to mean, “Don’t you dare judge me!” The Greek word for “judge” used here means “to condemn”. Jesus very plainly says that when we condemn others for…
Sinning
As she took a sip of her appletini, my friend, a committed Christian, said, “I’m sinning.” I looked at her in surprise. She nodded, took another sip and repeated it. “I’m sinning.” No self-justification, no excuses. Just bald fact. My first thought was, What sin? Alcohol? Not everyone considers alcohol a sin, but if she…
Luck of the Draw
After Barry retired, we team-taught Adult Sunday School and took classes. In one such class, we were randomly given 3 ordinary playing cards. A poster listed each card’s meaning. I turned over a card and found I had a full-ride scholarship! The next card was a second full-ride scholarship! I started to feel pretty cocky….
Labor Day
Labor was God’s idea. It’s part of His “very good.” The Lord God put the man in the Garden of Eden to work the soil and take care of the garden. Genesis 2:15 Easy-to-Read Version The material creation was made by God to be developed, cultivated, and cared for in an endless number of ways through human…