Ministry of Ḥesed

Ministry of Ḥesed

IV. Notes Towards a Ministry of Ḥesed Thoughts on ḥesed Does a ministry of ḥesed exist? I suggest that we can identify the ministry of ḥesed as, first of all, whatever springs from a heart that is like God’s heart—compassion, mercy, love, forgiveness, peace, faith,...
Why Memorize Scripture?

Why Memorize Scripture?

No one in the history of the church has had as much access to Scripture as we do in the twenty-first-century Western world. As I sit at my dining room table in southern Missouri, there are seven Bibles I could reach in ten steps or less. But this hasn’t always been...
The Danger of Loneliness

The Danger of Loneliness

When Ben and Jenna got married, they both had a thriving community of friends and family around them. Then, a few months into their marriage, Jenna unexpectedly got offered an incredible job promotion. Along with a significant salary increase, this promotion also...
The End of Estrangement

The End of Estrangement

Thoughts on ḥesed Recently, I was very kindly invited to join a group of writers commenting on current events from a Christian perspective. Reluctantly, I declined, feeling that were I to write about the procession of evils that our society experiences and the...
The Gift of Humor

The Gift of Humor

What is humor? Humor is defined as the capacity to express or perceive what is funny. This capacity begins to develop at an early age. Infants form a sense of humor by watching how others respond to their different behaviors. We are hardwired with the ability to...
The Spirit’s Power

The Spirit’s Power

Our Longing for Closeness Bone of My Bones The English word for intimacy comes from the Latin word intimus, meaning “inner.” Thus, intimacy involves two people opening their inner selves to each other. It is entering into each other’s lives emotionally,...