When talking about spiritual gifts, people are often quick to think about special abilities that the Holy Spirit provides. This can include controversial gifts like tongues, interpretation of tongues, healings, and prophecy or can include leadership, preaching, and administration. All of these are listed as spiritual gifts in the New Testament, so this comes as […]
SANCTIFIED
Christian lingo explained
Sanctified comes from the Latin word sanctus. Sanctus basically means holy or set apart. So when Christians use the word sanctified they are basically talking about being set apart for God and his purposes. In the Old Testament, being ‘set apart’ was extremely difficult for the average Israelite, let alone anyone else. There were 613 […]
LOVE THY NEIGHBORHOOD
What does it take to "build up" a neighborhood?
Matthew 19:19 KJV says “Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” In most cases it is easier to honor our father and mother than it is to love our neighbor as ourself. However, loving our neighbor is the second greatest commandment. Jesus was asked by a scribe, which […]
IF GOD IS ALL I NEED, WHY DO I FEEL SO LOUSY?
Exploring the emotional and spiritual benefits of counseling
Ten years is a long time to carry a heavy heart, but I did. And I know I am not alone. Each year, 19 million Americans and 121 million people, worldwide, struggle with some form of depression. For a few, it may be so constant they accept it as normal or part of their personality, […]
GOD’S PLANS FOR “ME”
Rethinking Jeremiah 29:11
I know we all do it. Christian greeting cards and motivational writers and speakers sell their materials based on the pleasant-sounding statements made by certain Bible verses when taken out of their original context. And we all buy into it as we quote these verses to one another. But what is the danger in that? […]
PURPOSE IN PAIN
How one paramedic shares God's love with hurting people
Bustling farmers markets, crowded local eateries, cozy coffee shops, and beautiful panoramas make up the quintessential Portland experience for many living in and visiting the city. But working twelve-hour nightshifts as a paramedic in Portland, Holly Kay sees a very different side of the city—and of humanity—than most people. And there, in some of the […]
TASTE AND SEE
The Art of Discernment
Imagine a group of dwarves huddled together in a stable. They are cold, hungry and scared. Their greatest fear is to be “taken in” by the notion that a lion exists who is the great king of their country. In an instance, the lion appears in their midst. With a shake of his mane, a […]
IN PURSUIT OF INTIMACY: MEDITATION
Cultivating our relationship with God through meditation
I sit in the chapel, cross-legged on the floor. Through the closed door I hear the dull thud of doors slamming shut, the hum of students conversing, and the buzz and bustle of a regular Tuesday evening. I fidget and move around so that I’m kneeling, and then prostrate myself on the floor. I breathe […]
REPAIRING BROKEN BRIDGES
Moving from forgiveness to reconciliation
My college roommate just got engaged, and I was genuinely excited for him. This is quite a normal response for such a situation, but it has been a crazy two year journey to this point. His fiancé is also my ex-girlfriend. To complicate things further, they started dating right after my friends and I had […]