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  Leviticus 9:22-24 Listen to today’s devotional Leviticus 9 marks the beginning of the priesthood. This is the moment when Aaron steps publicly into the responsibility of standing before God on behalf of the people and before the people on behalf of God. He offers sacrifices and blesses the community. As he does, the people witness the glory of God…keep that in mind. What stands out is that God's glory fulfills Aaron's role, not the other way around. Aaron’s calling was never about drawing attention to himself. His task was to faithfully serve so that the people might recognize God’s presence in their midst. The New Testament expands this priestly calling. It isn't just for Aaron’s descendants. It’s for you; you are a priest. Ministry is no longer reserved for a spiritual few. The calling is to reflect God’s presence, and that calling belongs to us all. Of course, our priesthood doesn't involve ancient sacrifices or temple rituals. But we still carry a responsibility. ...

 A few years ago, it hit me. I was asked to lead a small-group discussion on digital ministry. It was fun for me to help the group imagine ways they could connect to their churches and communities beyond Sunday morning. After we were done, someone said to me, "I like the way you do your digital ministry." That surprised me because, even with all the digital work I do, I had never thought of myself as having a digital ministry--yes, I can be dense sometimes. In every church I’ve previously served, the congregation was able to support the digital ministry work I do as part of the broader ministry of the church. That meant I could freely offer daily devotional texts, emails, podcasts, teaching, and online resources without really thinking about the monthly costs behind them. Now, I've never wanted to sound like a radio fundraiser or a TV preacher trying to sell faith. But this new season is different. Every day, I send devotional text messages, write and record daily devotio...

After an embarrassing amount of Coke Zero and Snickers, I've finished two full semesters! Saint Paul School of Theology doesn't have a mascot. I'm thinking either The Open-Table Otters, The Fighting Footnotes, or The Already/Not Yetis.  I had never participated in online classes before attending Saint Paul. I graduated before college before that was a thing, and my work at Perkins was on campus. Initially, I had more questions than I thought I would about how things would work. There were details that I worried I had wrong or misread. I did a lot of double and triple-checking to get started. Overall, it's been a good experience. Some professors take the online approach more loosely than others. But I've had a good mix so far.  After the last couple of weeks, I'm tired of looking at a computer screen. Stay blessed...john

  2 Kings 2:1-5 Listen to today’s devotional The prophets knew something we didn’t. As 2 Kings 2 opens, the idea that Elijah will be taken up by a whirlwind seems assumed. As a reader, that idea falls out of the sky. But a transition is about to happen, and everyone knows it. The Lord had already told Elijah to appoint Elisha as his successor. Now, the time for that transfer of prophetic power had come. For whatever reasons we might imagine, the younger Elisha does not seem ready. He follows Elijah as far as he can. He tells him three times, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” Along the way, other prophets keep reminding Elisha of what is coming. “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” Each time, Elisha answers the same way: “Yes, I know; keep silent.” It's not like Elisha is in denial or unaware or unwilling to face reality. If anything, he feels the weight of it more deeply than anyone else. He doesn't need commen...

  Ephesians 1:15-23 Listen to today’s devotional I love the book of Ephesians. It is an entire invitation to a new way of life. In the first chapter, Paul prays that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened so that we might know "the hope to which he has called" us. Paul doesn't want us just to understand this hope or admire it. He wants us to know it, live it, and become it! When I first learned about John Wesley's understanding of Christian perfection, I wondered why I had never heard much about it before. I think, too often, the phrase scares people before they ever hear what it means. Wesley was not describing a flawless or sinless life performance. He certainly would not expect anyone to carry a spiritual arrogance. He was talking about a heart so filled with the love of God that love becomes the ruling desire of our lives. A life being made whole in grace. Do we not hear more about Christian perfection because we don't believe God can truly transform a hu...

  Genesis 33:1-10 Listen to today’s devotional After deceiving his father and stealing Esau’s blessing, Jacob lived twenty years with the assumption that his brother’s anger would eventually catch up to him. So when he hears Esau is approaching with four hundred men, Jacob immediately prepares for disaster. He divides his family into groups for protection. He sends gifts ahead to soften Esau’s heart. Before the brothers ever see one another face-to-face, Jacob has already imagined Esau as an enemy. Of course, the brothers had a history. But fear still has a way of doing that to us. It shapes how we see people and narrows our imagination, convincing us that resentment, division, and hostility are inevitable. The longer distance grows between people, the easier it becomes to believe distorted stories about one another. But the night before Jacob meets Esau, he wrestles with God in the darkness. He leaves the encounter wounded, humbled, and maybe changed. Then the moment finally comes...