Category Archives: My Personal Journey

Updates on what Mark is doing, and how he is doing.

What is Christ Quickening?

Posted on June 30, 2012 by admin

“God made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:5).” What part of me has Christ made alive today? When I look for the new thing that the Lord is doing, I find satisfaction and joy. By contrast, when I rivet … Continue reading →

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THE Secret to Christian Living

Posted on May 6, 2012 by admin

Usually, I like to hedge bets. I couch my claims with “in most cases,” or “usually,” or other qualifiers. But here is one I will go out on a limb for. My pastor, Clyde Parker, summed up the secret for … Continue reading →

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Prayer for Lent

Posted on March 17, 2012 by admin

At this time of year, I like to repeat St. Ephraim’s prayer: O Lord and Master of my life, take from me a spirit of laziness, faintheartedness, love of power and idle talk. But freely give to me, your servant, a … Continue reading →

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What is In in?

Posted on January 10, 2012 by admin

This morning I was privileged to participate in group devotions — in Greek! We studied the first fifteen verses of Ephesians with plenty of parsing, computer programs, and grammatical analysis. However, the Greek is very much like the English (what … Continue reading →

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God is No Longer Part of My Life

Posted on November 27, 2011 by admin

Today’s WordAction’s Sunday paper, Standard, includes excerpts from Wesley Tracy’s Younger Than I Used to Be.  He shocks with the title (“God is no longer part of my life”), then convicts with “an epiphany explodes when it dawns on you … Continue reading →

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You Don’t Get; But You Do Get

Posted on November 15, 2011 by admin

“When [the disciples and Jesus] were together for the last time they asked, ‘Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?’  He told them, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is … Continue reading →

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Weight Watcher Parable — Celebrate Good Actions

Posted on October 11, 2011 by admin

My wife and I joined Weight Watchers this summer. Today I received a special sticker for having lost ten pounds! There are many ways in which a Weight Watchers meeting resembles a church worship service. All the members sit in … Continue reading →

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Anyone Can Become (more) Missional

Posted on October 4, 2011 by admin

I have always believed that God calls the church to serve the world, and that every disciple is privileged to be part of that call. I have also always struggled to get out of the church cocoon and actually get … Continue reading →

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Is it time to Weed?

Posted on August 31, 2011 by admin

While I was on my walk this morning, I noticed two kinds of houses in my neighborhood. Some houses looked attractive. They made feel comfortable and think, “I could be happy living here.” Other houses were off-putting. Their appearance made … Continue reading →

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New Job

Posted on August 24, 2011 by admin

This morning, I accepted the offer to teach Gospels and Acts at New Hope Christian College. Classes start next Wednesday, so I am furiously polishing off a syllabus from Gospels courses and adding an Acts segment. One of the books … Continue reading →

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