Keeping Up With God, Who Is Always A Step Ahead By Beth Demme In the New Testament, right after the four Gospels, we have a book called “Acts.” Sometimes it’s called “Acts of the Apostles” because it’s the story of how the apostles began to teach, preach, and heal after Jesus ascended to heaven. Sometimes it’s called “Acts of the Holy …
You and the Ethiopian Eunuch
Yes, You Are Like The Eunuch By Beth Demme Sometimes we read about an incredibly beautiful moment in the Bible, like the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, and we think “good for him!” without understanding it’s really about us, too. And while it can be potentially dangerous to make everything in the Bible about y-o-u, maybe that’s a risk …
The Surprising Connection Between Dependence and Abundance
The Surprising Connection Between Dependence and Abundance By Beth Demme I don’t know anything about actual shepherding, like, with sheep. Literally, nothing. My visions of being a shepherd come from church Christmas pageants when I was a kid. The 10-year old boys were the shepherds and that meant they carried a cool stick and wore their dads’ bathrobes. That’s probably all …
The Power of a Shared Meal
The Power of a Shared Meal By Beth Demme I love sitting down at a table with people and sharing a meal. Whether it’s a holiday meal with the family that has loved me my entire life, or an evening out with new friends, I always enjoy “breaking bread” with people. “Breaking bread” has a special meaning in Christianity. If …
Why I Love Doubting Thomas
When you hear the story of “Doubting Thomas” do you think of him as a failure or do you, perhaps, feel an affinity for him? (If you don’t know the details of his story, pause for a minute and read how he got his nickname at John 20:19-31.) On the one hand, I feel compelled to argue for a new …
How To Go From Despair to Delight
How To Go From Despair to Delight By Beth Demme On Easter we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus. We celebrated an empty tomb that was full of hope! We celebrated that our relationship with God is restored! Now, as we move into the Easter season (Easter Sunday thru Pentecost), I find myself considering Mary Magdalene. I keep thinking about her …
Jesus is Missing from the Easter Story
Jesus is Missing from the Easter Story By Beth Demme One of the reasons I come to you via email, Facebook, or blog each week is to fulfill my personal mission to help people see the Bible as manageable and meaningful. That means there are times when I have the joy (and challenge?) of sharing something with you that you …
Resurrection Begins Now (And It’s Not Even Easter Yet)
Resurrection Begins Now (And It’s Not Even Easter Yet) By Beth Demme There comes a time towards the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry when he raises a man from the dead, his dear friend Lazarus. The telling of this story always breaks me a little because of the words of Martha, the sister of Lazarus. Martha is a do-er, a …
Commandments, Contracts, and Covenant
Commandments, Contracts, and Covenant By Beth Demme It’s tempting to make faith into something legalistic. To make it about rules and obedience. I know this is a temptation because I see how prevalent it is in Christian culture, but also because I see it in myself. Often it’s a marker of a new relationship with God, but I’ve been on …
Praying and Waiting
Praying and Waiting A Biblical Hero’s Lesson In How NOT To Do It By Beth Demme Are you good at praying … and then waiting? I spend a good amount of time praying, even listening, but I’m terrible at waiting! Abraham, the patriarch of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths was also not good at waiting for God’s promises to come …