Author: Sweet Tea and Front Porch Storyteller
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The Myth of Trouble-Free Faith
A Curious Pilgrim Reflection on Psalm 34, 1 Samuel 2:27-36, Acts 2:22-36, and Luke 20:41–21:4 “Many are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord will deliver him out of them all.”— Psalm 34:19 One of the most persistent myths in religion is the belief that if we are faithful enough, obedient enough, or righteous…
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Restore Us, O God: When Our Vision Is Too Small
Daily Office Readings: Psalm 80, 1 Samuel 1:1-20, Acts 1:1-14, Luke 20:9-19 Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly.” Those words came to mind as I reflected on today’s Daily Office readings. Human beings live with limited vision. We see only a small part of the story. We…
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The Curious Pilgrim
When God Opens Our Eyes This morning I read a social media post from a woman who had walked through PrideFest in downtown Springfield, Missouri. She described the experience as though she had walked into Sodom and Gomorrah. She seemed fearful, convinced that danger surrounded her. She was troubled that families and children were present.…
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The Things That Make for Peace
A Curious Pilgrim Reflection on Luke 19:42 Daily Office Readings:Psalm 69:1–23, 31–38Sirach 45:6–162 Corinthians 12:11–21Luke 19:41–48 One verse from today’s Gospel captured my attention and would not let go: “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” — Luke…
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Integrity, Generosity, and Community
A Curious Pilgrim Reflection on Psalm 15, Sirach 31:3-11, and Acts 4:32-37 Daily Office Readings: Psalm 15, Sirach 31:3-11, Acts 4:32-37 One of the recurring themes I encounter in Scripture is that faith is never merely about what we believe. Faith is about how we live. It is reflected in our character, our use of…
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Choosing Life: Discovering That God Has Been Seeking Us All Along
Daily Office Readings: Psalm 61, Psalm 100, Deuteronomy 30:11-20, 2 Corinthians 11:1-21a, and Luke 19:1-10 Theme Verse: “For the Son of Man came to seek out and save the lost.” — Luke 19:10 One of the gifts of praying the Daily Office is discovering how seemingly unrelated passages of Scripture often weave together into a…
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Fear or Trust? Life or Death? A Daily Choice
Daily Office Readings: Psalm 56, Deuteronomy 30:1-10, 2 Corinthians 10:1-18, Luke 18:31-43 Life often presents us with choices that seem larger than ourselves. Some days we stand at the crossroads between fear and trust. Other days we wrestle with obedience and disobedience, faith and doubt, hope and despair. The Daily Office readings for today remind…
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The God Who Continually Reveals Himself
Daily Office Readings: Psalm 118, Isaiah 11:1-9, 1 Corinthians 2:1-13, and John 14:21-29 One of the greatest questions humanity has wrestled with is this: How do we know God? Across the centuries, people have searched for God in temples, churches, sacred texts, nature, philosophy, and personal experience. The Daily Office readings for today remind us…
The Curious Pilgrim 