John 4 tells us that Jesus had to go through Samaria to get to Galilee from Judea. When you consider the subtext, that fact shines brilliantly with beauty. Jesus, as a Jew, would have been perfectly justified in not going to Samaria. The Jews hated Samarians, who believed only in the first five books of the Old Testament and were considered (prejudicially) half-breeds, being Jewish and Gentile. The Samaritans, too, hated Jews.
Read MoreHere at Tirzah, we get asked to do movie/book/music reviews from time to time. When I agreed to review the movie “Found & Lifted”, the only thing I knew about it was the context of God redeeming a woman who found herself divorced. This is a topic that can be controversial in the church and has people standing on different parts of this issue. We do not encourage divorce, except for Biblical reasons. This movie has definite grounds for divorce.
Read MoreWe often think of sanctuaries as sacred buildings adorned with stained glass, but sanctuaries are any place we can retreat for refuge and renewal. Any space that speaks to our souls and places us in a posture of reverence can be a sanctuary.
Read MoreIn the moments when we don’t know what to do - which have been numerous, even in the first few days of this new year - we would do well to quote this verse from Ecclesiastes. For a few days, I fell into a pattern of what I called “righteous anger”... until I realized that sitting in judgment wasn’t moving me closer to my God or farther from my pent-up fears.
Read MoreMark is the perfect go-to gospel for men. This action-packed account of Christ’s life unfolds like a Hollywood blockbuster. One writer described this rendering as Jesus revealing Himself more by what He does than by what He says. John Mark was quick to get to the point in his factual and focused account. As a female, who happily has a higher word count per day, I prefer John’s gospel. I love its expanded discourses and intricate narrative detail. It would be fair to say it is my gospel go-to.
Read MoreI wrote My Inner Child two years ago. Poetry is an outlet for my pain. Writing, although difficult, helps get pieces of my brain onto the page so that I have more clarity on my struggles. Little did I know that this is where I would continually meet with our God. Jehovah has used this poem as a place holder in my life. He has been whispering gently to me, “Darling, we are coming back to this place of pain and I will go through it with you.”
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