A blog by Shannon Baker
Can glory be wrapped up in nouns
or tied with verbs, like string?
It seems like a disservice
when fireworks break at my ribs
and embers shower down
and Billows blow to flame.
I scuff my shoes, apologize
for words that leave their tracks
all over holy ground.
But, what if glory wait for words—
each word a branch, a leaf,
a bush through which to blaze?
Photo courtesy of Marcin Czaja via stocksnap.io
The angels had watched as Adam and Eve defied God and as centuries of humans repeated their rebellion. All the while, God sat patiently by. Why wasn’t he punishing them? What did he mean by the prophecies of a child? Then, one night, it became clear.
Seeing Shepherds
copyright Daniel Bonnell, 2010, used with permission, www.BonnellArt.com
Luke, the physician-historian, tells the story like this Continue Reading…
Tip #1: Do something unproductive, and enjoy it.
We’re adults now, which means we have jobs. And, unless we have the good fortune of being artists, our workplaces can suck us into the black hole of productivity. If we’re not careful, the work week (whether it comes packaged in forty, sixty, or eighty hours) can morph us into human doers—people who compulsively check our schedules while gulping down cereal and who send work emails from the bathroom at night
Photo courtesy of Sander Smeekes via unsplash.com
Lessons from the Other Half
The Doctrine of Productivity affects us all, but our married friends have an advantage. They go home to human beings that require them to be unproductive (a.k.a. spouses).
Just think about it. If married people want to stay married, they have to invest time (and plenty of it) in rather non-productive behaviors. They have to leave work to get home for dinner. Their spouses make them put down their phones and have real conversations. They go on date nights. And, then there’s sex—which, considering the number of kids most couples have, is rather unproductive Continue Reading…
I clicked delete thinking, “The bookstore is hosting an event to promote a new Bible? That sounds boring.” That’s right, I used the words “Bible” and “boring” in the same sentence.
A week later, I shuffled my feet inside that same bookstore, waiting for an author to sign my book. My eyes wandered from one shelf to the next until something caught my eye on the wall. It was the painting below:
Genesis 1, The St. John’s Bible, used with permission
Just then a clerk walked by.
“What is that?” I asked, gasping for breath Continue Reading…
During Advent, it can seem like Christians rummage through the Old Testament, pull out obscure verses and say, “Hey! I just found something about Jesus buried deep in the book of Isaiah!”
But those promises aren’t actually obscure. They were given to real people whose lives were crumbling around them, people who were trying to find their way in a broken world. Advent invites us to join those people and look forward to the day when God will make good on his promises.
Don’t miss out on Advent Meditations which started yesterday! To learn more click here.
Unpack my heart
and give me room to breathe
your true self,
for I could never
wrap my arms around
your whole self
or hold my breath
and reach the bottom of
your deep self.
But, I can wade this moment
in your shallows,
then spend forever venturing
from shore.
Photo courtesy of Rob Bye via StockSnap.io
I didn’t grow up with Advent–except for one Christmas when mom made a wreath. I would half listen as dad read from the book of Isaiah or Matthew, mesmerized by the cadence of his voice and the flickering flames.
Then, for years, I forgot about Advent. I’d speed through each December–from one christmas party to the next, from one overpacked mall to another. Despite the glittering lights and glasses of eggnog, Christmas left me drained. That’s when I began to appreciate the gift of Advent.
Advent invites us to reflect (rather than rush) our way through the Christmas season. But more than that, Advent helps us grasp our place in God’s story, to sense in our gut the divine timeline on which we live. During Advent, we reach back to a perfect world gone wrong and the God who descended into its chaos. With the other hand, we reach forward to a King who is returning to set everything right.
This Advent I’ve put together a series of FREE daily meditations for the mind, heart, and imagination. Each meditation includes a scripture text, work of art, and prompt for reflection. The meditations begin on December 1st and will run through the week after Christmas. See the sample meditation below Continue Reading…
She got a call. “Your brother was at the Bataclan.” Tomorrow’s lunch is off. She won’t ever meet him for lunch again.
How do we make sense of such evil? How do we pray?
Photo courtesy of CreationSwap via creationwsap.com
Over breakfast, I read Psalm 82—a poem by King David where his trust and confusion bleed together—a space for struggling with God Continue Reading…
There are questions worth asking in life. Did I put deodorant on? Did I forget to pay my credit card bill? Should I eat the re-fried beans considering I’m on a date? These are helpful questions.
Then, there are unhelpful questions, the king of which, in my opinion, is “Am I spiritual enough?”
Photo courtesy of Raymond Bryson via flickr.com
Nothing sucks me into a vortex quicker than The Unhelpful Question. High winds and negative pressure suck every insecurity into it’s path. It pulls up contentment by the roots. It splatters guilt everywhere. And, it keeps me spinning so fast, that I start to lose grip on reality.
I should know better, but last week I stepped into the vortex. A friend has taken a couple months off work to Continue Reading…
What pops into your head when you see the word…
Imagination.
Today, it makes me think of The Princess Bride with its ROUS’s and six-fingered man. Most of us are happy to pass off imagination to Hollywood, artists, and six-year-olds pretending to be Queen Elsa. But, when it comes to the serious concerns of adult life, imagination seems out of place. Just consider these odd couples:
Family + Imagination
Work + Imagination
Religion + Imagination
Photo courtesy of Joshua Earle via unsplash.com
Modern-day Evangelicalism hasn’t helped. At best, when Christianity bumps into imagination the two share an awkward hug. (Facing the Giants, anyone?) At worst, while sirens blare, Christianity runs for the bunkers with truth tucked under its arms Continue Reading…
