Jesus' Apocalyptic Talk: An Invitation to Hope and Pay Attention

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Apocalypse and Hope. Do they seem like opposites? I have always thought of them that way—in opposition to each other. It turns out … I’ve been wrong. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus describes a time when everything will change. The temple, the center of religious life and a place described as “the house of the Lord” (1 Kings 6:1), …

Bad Borrower?

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Am I A Bad Borrower? By Beth Demme When I was in elementary school, maybe third grade, I borrowed a book from the school librarian. Not from the school library (these days known as a “Media Center”), but from the librarian herself, Mrs. Whaley. Every Christmas she read The Cajun Night Before Christmas to us and I L‑O-V-E-D it. I …

God Chooses You

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God Chooses You By Beth Demme Last week I shared my thoughts on how some Christians take on legalism and judgmentalism instead of the yoke Jesus offers. Like the Pharisees, they focus on the letter of the law instead of the spirit of the law. I think Jesus releases us from the prison of self-righteousness. We don’t have to try …

Happiness Is a Heart Condition

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By Beth Demme In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus preached: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8, NRSV) This is also translated, “Happy are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Happy. I like being happy, feeling happy. I’m not a student of New Testament Greek, but I can tell you …

The Thanksgiving My Life Changed

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By Beth Demme It was just before Thanksgiving 2002. My husband and I followed the pediatrician down the hall, our footsteps echoing off the undecorated walls and hard floors. We were inside a maternity/pediatric hospital in a small coal-mining town in southwest Russia. The doctor led us to a bright room, with a big window, three cribs, and one precious …

In This Election, God Is On My Side

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By Beth Demme After three debates, a handful of scandals, and some terrific SNL skits, I feel a little flummoxed by this year’s presidential election. It’s not that I am an undecided voter, I have decided. On the off-chance you’re interested, it was basically a 5-step decision-making process for me: Decide “not Trump.” That was easy for me. I made …

In Your Life There is More to Come

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By Beth Demme We have a tradition in our family, our own catchphrase. In our home videos we never say, “The End.” Instead, we always say “More to Come.” I don’t remember when it started, but it’s now ingrained in all of us. In fact, when the kids want me to stop-it-already-with-the-video they’ll smile and, sort of sarcastically, say “more to come, mommmmmm.” That’s …