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This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

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September 19, 2020 | 1 Comment

This black swan event

Halloween, 2019.  I had the collar, I had the robe, why not? Of course, I outweighed her by thrice, but, you know, I pulled my hair back and did my best.  RBG.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death is heartache for her family and many Americans.  It’s a cause for celebration for a handful of others.  

More to the point, her death is being called a black swan event. That was a new term to me.  I googled.  A black swan event is “an unpredictable event that is beyond what is normally expected of a situation and has potentially severe consequences (Jim Chappelow, “Black swan,” https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/blackswan.asp).  Is any death really that unpredictable?  No.  Was RBG’s death unpredictable, given her long battle with cancer?  Not at all.  

Yet, does her death have potentially severe consequences?  I fear, yes.  I fear it will unleash even further vitriol, during a season of such meanness and spite within America as I have not witnessed in my lifetime.  I fear that ugly things I will hear and read out of people whom I have, until now, known to be kind of soul and demeanor.

I wonder if, instead, this black swan event may in fact be an opportunity for us as people of faith to walk our talk.  Love your enemy (Matthew 5:44).  Practice mercy (Luke 6:36). Love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Mark 12:30). 

My prayer for followers of Jesus in America is this:

  • That we followers of Jesus will put our allegiance to Him above party loyalty
  • That, out of that allegiance, we will recognize that every person–even those with whom we profoundly disagree–is a child of God, made in His image
  • That, out of that recognition, we will commit to stopping the name-calling and mud-slinging and yet be brave to speak the truth in love without fear of public shaming
  • That, out of that commitment, we will witness to the goodness and grace of our Savior and His hope

I invite others to join in this prayer, this allegiance, this recognition, and this commitment, so that Jesus will be glorified indeed.

Courage, Discipleship, Evangelism, Jesus Christ, Prayer, Truth Tagged: black swan event, prayer, RBG


March 26, 2020 | Leave a Comment

Shelter in place

Thursday, March 26, 2020

So much, so fast. Today begins the shelter in place order for our state.

“For in the day of trouble, he will keep me safe in his dwelling. He will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent And set me high upon a rock.”  (Psalm 27:5)

As I woke up this morning and sat down in my corner couch spot for prayer, it felt so much like a day so completely like any other day. And yet, it’s not like any other day any of us have ever known.

And yet still…God is our shelter, our true shelter and strength

And still…Christ goes ahead of us—is already here with us—as we wake today

And always…the Spirit supplies us with all the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that we need, not only to survive this coronavirus but to thrive—

To silence more and more the voice of fear in our heads

To grow in our practice of prayer

To draw closer to our families

To strengthen our trust in God to provide for our needs

And for some to turn to Him for healing if we or someone we love grows sick.

Because we are people of God and followers of Jesus, we have the toolkit—everything we need—to endure. Believe it, live it, pray it.

Be well, friends, and stay in touch.

.

Courage, Discipleship, Fear, Jesus Christ Tagged: COVID 19, home, shelter in place


September 24, 2019 | Leave a Comment

Superabounding faith

I lost my temper last night. I yelled at people who probably needed some gentle prodding, but not the verbal cannon fire I launched at them. I’ve apologized several times. Nevertheless I will lose my temper again.

My mother would tell stories of my epic temper tantrums as a child. My bedroom strewn with clothes flung from my dresser drawers, pages torn out of books, toys and stuffed animals hurled around the room. At least I’ve moved past property damage, right?

Peter wrote, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8).

“Increasing.” I really like that word “increasing.” [Read more…]

Discipleship, Hope, Spiritual maturity, Trust Tagged: blunders, growing faith, superabundance, temper


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This is the day that
the Lord has made;
let us rejoice
and be glad in it.

– Psalm 118:24

Rev. Dr. MJ Romano

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Bible Verse of the Day

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.
1 John 3:21-22
DailyVerses.net
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