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A Fresh Start
The lure of a fresh start is ubiquitous. The idea that we are not tied to our past, that we are not destined to repeat the mistakes we had made, the idea that change and redemption is possible, and if only we could make a fresh start without our past following us, we could live…
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Hump Day Hymns {Advent Edition}: Comfort, Comfort You My People
Comfort, comfort you my people, Tell of peace, thus says our God; Comfort those who sit in darkness Bowed beneath oppression’s load. Speak you to Jerusalem Of the peace that waits for them; Tell them that their sins I cover, And their warfare now is over. For the herald’s voice is calling In the desert…
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“‘…for I am the LORD who heals you.’”
I have a parishioner, I will call him Larry. Larry has been battling cancer for some time, and has seemed to be losing the battle. It has metastasized in different places, and just a few short weeks ago, he did not expect to be here by Christmas. The pain was unbearable even with pain medicine,…
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Hump Day Hymns: Lord, We Confess Our Numerous Faults
Lord, we confess our num’rous faults; How great our guilt has been, How vain and foolish all our tho’ts, And all our lives were sin. But, O my soul, forever praise, forever love, His name Who turns thy feet from dang’rous ways Of folly, sin and shame. ‘Tis not by works of righteousness Which our…
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Being faithful with my little
I often find myself frustrated. I have been given very little. I have very little in terms of number of people in my congregation, very little in terms of my facilities, exceptionally little in terms of financial resources, and little in terms of other resources in my congregation and community. I don’t want to have…
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Hump Day Hymns: My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand. When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging…
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When there is nothing to say
There is something holy about silence, something which I love and hate. I love silence because I can better see myself, and listen to God. I hate silence because I can better see myself and listen to God. When there is silence I cannot necessarily control or predict what is going to happen, what is…
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Hump Day Hymns: What God Ordains is Always Good
What God ordains is always good; His will abideth holy. As He directs my life for me, I follow meek and lowly. My God indeed In every need Doth well know how to shield me; To Him, then, I will yield me. What God ordains is always good. He never will deceive me; He leads…
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Meeting God at Lake Michigan
The breeze was cool and the geese honked as they flew overhead. Right in front of the dock on which I am sitting, I listed to a rowboat quietly skimming across the surface of the water, the only sound to be heard is the oars dipping into the water to propel the small boat toward…
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When the loss feels more significant than the gain
“I can’t do this anymore,” I told my beloved. “Can’t do what anymore?” she said. “I can’t do any of this — alone — anymore,” I replied. * * * The preaching moment is a fantastic example of the consequences of pastoral ministry. During the preaching moment, regardless of whether the sermon is delivered from…
Matthew van Maastricht
Shepherd of Souls | Spiritual Director | Psychotherapist
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