by FBC Laurens | Apr 11, 2021 | Devotional Thought
Luke 24:13-18 After living in Japan for nearly three years, I returned to the United States for my first extended stay and realized that eating out felt different. I’d become acclimated to Japanese dining where servers, who are not tipped, usually approach a table...
by FBC Laurens | Apr 10, 2021 | Devotional Thought
Psalm 118:21-24 This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (v. 24). These words often call us to worship, and many people repeat them to affirm that every day is God’s creative gift and an occasion for joy. The original singers of Psalm 118...
by FBC Laurens | Apr 9, 2021 | Devotional Thought
Psalm 118:14-17 I wrote this reflection last July. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most congregations hadn’t physically gathered for worship since March, four months earlier. We celebrated last Easter from home in a variety of ways, often joining our congregations...
by FBC Laurens | Apr 8, 2021 | Devotional Thought
Luke 24:12 Sometimes, when we’re not sure what has happened and what it means, all we can do is run in the direction of hope. That’s what Peter does on the first Easter. He has heard from the women who have been to Jesus’ tomb. They claim to have heard news they could...
by FBC Laurens | Apr 7, 2021 | Devotional Thought
Luke 24:10-11 To have a new life, we need a new story. The distressed women who go to Jesus’ tomb early on Easter, before they know it is Easter, return to Jesus’ other friends as delighted preachers of the resurrection. They went to the tomb to do grief work; they...
by FBC Laurens | Apr 6, 2021 | Devotional Thought
Luke 24:8-9 Sometimes, I forget what Jesus said. It’s not that I can’t recall or repeat his words; it’s that I pay much more attention to other voices. The others induce a kind of temporary amnesia in me. Clamoring anxiety, shouting anger, whispering shame, or...
