Read Reflect Paul, the pastor-missionary, opens his heart and reflects on his vocation in 2 Corinthians. Some parts of the letter are intensely personal and reveal his inner struggles. The debate about the unity of the epistle (there are suggestions that it was composed of portions of two or more letters) does not affect our […]
Read More service, times of need, comfort, troubleRead Reflect Leaders that break promises betray the trust of their followers. In our time, politicians, presidents of corporations, and directors of service organizations are expected to stand by their word. The demand for integrity is even higher for church leaders. Paul, the missionary-pastor, had planned to make a double visit to Corinth on route […]
Read More God’s faithfulness, integrity, healthy relationshipsRead Reflect Leadership is always challenged. Yesterday’s reading showed that Paul’s delay in visiting Corinth resulted in public criticism that he was fickle and unreliable as a leader. Paul continues to address this personal attack in today’s reading. Paul calls on God as his witness. The main factor in his decision to change his travel […]
Read More destructive behaviour, forgiveness, fellowship, discord, church disciplineRead Reflect After facing death in Asia, Paul traveled to Troas and then to Macedonia to proclaim the good news. We are reminded that travel was difficult in the first century notwithstanding the network of roads built by the Romans. Paul’s words reveal his commitment to his colleagues. He was unable to rest because of […]
Read More covenant, work of the Spirit, transformationRead Reflect I grew up traveling with my missionary parents, studied cultural anthropology in college, and visited almost every country on earth by my 50th birthday. One thing remains – nothing ever changes. You see, we might think that wars, economics, politics, religion or technology have changed our world significantly. But the truth of the […]
Read More perspective, confidence, veilThanks to media and the ubiquitous access modern technology has provided us, we are more quickly connected to unfolding catastrophes than any other time in our history. This passage is an unexpected, but strong “go to” in the midst of tragedy.
While we weep for victims of senseless violence or unfathomable persecution, we can know that those who have Christ have hope.
Read More suffering, light, hope, unseenThis passage speaks loud and clear, especially in the midst of tragedies or when our news feeds are filled with stories of unimaginable persecution.
Read More truth, hope, perspective, jars of clayKaiser Wilhelm of Germany once quizzed his schoolchildren on the three kingdoms of natural objects in order to test their knowledge. One little girl identified an orange belonging to the vegetable kingdom and a piece of gold to mineral, but when the Kaiser asked the question that faces all humanity—which kingdom she belonged to—her reply caught him off guard.
Read More kingdom, eternityThe average response time after an emergency call is eight minutes or less. We are hardwired to respond quickly when danger is imminent. The same attention to urgency ought to be heeded in the spiritual realm as it is in the physical.
‘Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation’ (2:6a NLT).
Read More urgency, reconciliation