Our bodies are fundamental to who we are. We are creatures in time and space. If someone were to ask who Jonathan Beck is, they would describe what I look like, who my family is, where I work, my hobbies, favorite restaurants, and more. Every descriptor has to do with my body and the use of my strength. When we think about the totality of our strength, it puts new light on Loving the Lord our God with all our strength (Jesus, Mk 12:30). What we do with our bodies is important. It reflects the inner state of our beings, our
Read MoreMental health is critical, if not central, to a person’s wellbeing. However, many people don’t know how to address the issue and don’t have the tools to deal with it. My wife and I were in that situation. Six years ago we moved to Metairie, and my daughter started eighth grade at a new school. She had always struggled with ADHD which became more pronounced that year. We tried counseling and medications to help her
Read MoreHow do you ‘Love the Lord your God… with all your mind’ (Mark 12:29-30)? We show people love in different ways. We give gifts. We spend time with them. We say ‘I love you.’ We say, words of affirmation. We learn and share their inner life. Likewise, we love God by studying and sharing in His inner life.
Read MoreThe next few weeks are a time of reflection on our walk with Christ. Our worship services will focus on what it means to be ALL IN. It comes directly from Jesus. Jesus iterated the fundamental teaching of the Old Testament when he said:
Read MoreHave you ever failed at a project at home, a relationship, or meeting work expectations? I think it is safe to say that we have all faced humiliating defeat at some time. We were embarrassed, felt the shame, knew the disappointment others had in us. There is a whole gamut of negative emotions that creep in. We lose heart and wonder if we can ever right the wrong and rectify the situation. As we all know, failure is a part of life. Failure is a given in this complicated, competitive, selfish, and fallen world.
Read More“Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.” CS Lewis, Mere Christianity.
Peter asked Jesus about forgiveness. ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ (Matt 18:21) Was Peter asking about seven different sins or the same one happening again, and again, and again? Either way, Jesus ends his teaching with, forgive your brother from the heart. First of all, ‘heart’ does not mean our emotions. Rather, ‘Heart’ means the seat of the will in
Read MoreI like the way Jesus begins his teaching in Matt 5:43 about how to treat others with whom I might disagree: “You have heard it said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'” We want our enemies to suffer like they have made us suffer. We want them to 'get what they deserve' and are more than happy to make sure that happens. As we look around us, it is evident that this resonates with our general society. However, it isn’t just other people’s problem. It’s mine. I can feel poked at on all sides, and I bottle it
Read MoreThe story of ‘The Good Samaritan’ grabs our imagination because we can’t imagine people being so heartless as to not stop and help someone in need. The Veggie Tales rendition of the Good Samaritan brings the issue home. The mayor of the town and the doctor (they represent people in public and private sector work) join together in song:
Read MoreDo you expect God to do great things? Do you have confidence in God? Confidence in God’s power runs through the story of Run-Away-Jonah, the big fish, and the Evil Assyrian Empire. When God tells Jonah to go tell the Ninevites that God’s judgement is coming and they need to repent, Jonah has absolute confidence that God will have mercy on them if they repent. After God withdrew His
Read MoreWhen things are out of control outside of us and inside of us we can feel hopeless. Usually, it has been a long process to reach the bottom. We’ve tried to do things our way, in our time, and under our own steam. We don’t notice the trajectory is off until it is really off. Once we notice it is off, we think we can get things back on track ourselves. We can have some success turning ourselves around, but more often than not, we can’t get out
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