SINGING FOR JOY

I posted this on Facebook several years ago, but I think it bears repeating!  Cross necklaces are not as popular as they used to be, but I continue to wear mine, and here is why: 1. I am a sinner saved by grace. I am painfully aware of how far short I fall of God’s holiness and glory. Wearing a cross necklace is my daily visible reminder to be grateful that Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for my sins so that I might have abundant and eternal life. 2. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a visible sign of my identity in Christ and my identification with His work of love, peace, forgiveness, unity, and mercy.  

A dear friend has had a ministry for decades now, serving refugees from countries such as Burundi, D. R. Congo, and Rwanda. Many of these fine people have been resettled in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. It has been my privilege and joy for several years now to periodically attend their church with my friend. This church was founded by several brothers who are from Burundi. These outstanding men were once persecuted during the genocide in their home country and then forced into prison camps there for years. Finally, they were given legal refugee status and allowed to come to the USA to start new lives. They came to this country with absolutely nothing but one plastic bag each with all their earthly belongings. After years of hard work, they are now successful, outstanding, contributing members of our society. Since I am active in my own church, I only attend theirs once or twice a year. But I am welcomed with open arms every time I go. Their worship services are full of gratitude and...

 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 Temporal justice can be messy to obtain. I am currently hearing from many beloved sisters and brothers from the tiny southern African kingdom of Eswatini, where the king still has absolute authority, and the people are demanding democracy. It all sounds very noble, but what this means in real, day-to-day terms is that shops and crops are being looted and burned; roads, the airport, and borders get closed; the army is allegedly shooting dissenters, access to the Internet keeps getting shut down; and the entire country seems to be on fire. This also means that I am hearing from dear sisters in Christ who say, “I am scared. I do not know where to turn or how to feed my children.”  From what I understand, the road to democracy here in America hundreds of years ago was no less gruesome. More recently, the quest for...