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Thirsting for God’s Presence Thirst is a common experience for us, because water is fundamental to our survival. Although humans can live for several weeks without food, we can only survive a few days without water. In view of this, perhaps we should not be surprised that the Israelites became anxious when they camped at Rephidim and saw...

God’s True Fast In a sermon preached to the Zion Hill Baptist Church in Los Angeles on June 17, 1962, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made a promise that he would repeat in speeches and sermons all over the country. It was a prediction, really, framed in the lyrics of what is considered the anthem of the civil rights movement. “We shall...

Broken Cisterns George always kept a barrel near the garage. Rainwater would fill the barrel, which he used for his tomato plants. His system was really a kind of cistern, a container used to catch and store rainwater. While cisterns can be good, especially in areas with limited water resources, a natural spring is better. A cistern depends...

The Fountain of Life Alexander the Great not only conquered the world but also sought a river that had the power to reverse aging. The Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon came to Florida in search of the fountain of youth. Both missions failed; there is no river or fountain that can reverse the aging process. But there is a spiritual source...

A Thirst for God In 2014, the city of Flint, Mich., changed its water source from Lake Huron and the Detroit River to the Flint River because it was cheaper. But problems with the way the water was then treated caused it to become contaminated with lead from the pipes. As a result, over 100,000 residents were exposed to high levels of lead...

Eating to the Glory of God At his office cubicle, Bill often listened to music that his colleague John hated. When John complained, Bill answered with a Latin phrase: De gustibus non est disputandum. It means, “In matters of taste, there can be no disputes.” This is often how we view our disputes over Christian liberty. It is tempting to...

The Selfish Supper At a recent church potluck, Betty lingered for several minutes chatting with friends and cooing over babies. By the time she reached the tables laden with casserole dishes and trays, only some tuna casserole, green beans, and potato chip crumbs were left. Paul’s description of the Corinthian church’s method of observing...

Worthy Eating In an article in The Atlantic titled “Why Americans Now Dress So Casually,” Deirdre Clemente observes, “Americans began the 20th century in bustles and bowler hats and ended it in velour sweatsuits and flannel shirts—the most radical shift in dress standards in human history.” Dressing for church used to mean dresses, suits,...

Come to the Water “Our kitchens and other eating places more and more resemble filling stations, as our homes more and more resemble hotels,” author Wendell Berry observes. “‘Life is not very interesting,’ we seem to have decided, ‘Let its satisfactions be minimal, perfunctory, and fast.’” As we close this month’s study with Christ’s invitation...

Mature Faith: Contrasting Examples The mission statement of the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago is to “serve with the compassion of Christ and minister with the transforming message of the Gospel.” For over 140 years, America’s oldest rescue mission has reached out to the hungry and the homeless with food, clothing, shelter, medical care,...