“In the context of a commission, the blessing of peace isn’t incidental direction. It’s not the icing on the proverbial cake of ministry in the world. Blessing is part of the way Jesus’ followers reflect his character and embody his presence.”- Tina Boesch When he [Jesus] had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, […]
“First Abraham and Sarah laughed at the impossibility of the blessing. Then they laughed because the impossible came to life. And God laughed with them, memorializing their laughter in the name of their son, who would remind them of the joy that comes at the end of a long season of painful waiting.”- Tina Boesch […]
“Blessing and worship spring from the same source — a vision of God’s good character and heart full of trust in God’s promises. Worship is an irrepressible response to seeing who God is in his glory and to rightly perceiving that the blessings that populate our lives are expressions of his grace.”- Tina Boesch As […]
“Blessing begins with seeing. Before words of blessing can reach toward future vision, we must attend to present reality. And that means we must turn our gaze from ourselves . . . and see others as they long to be seen. This is agape seeing, a way of seeing grounded in love and sacrifice. It […]
“When a blessing is reduced to a phrase we say out of habit, then it’s drained of its significance. A blessing should be a sincere prayer that rises from our souls.”- Tina Boesch As Tina Boesch continues Chapter 1 of Given, she observes that the secular nature of Western culture strips our culture of the […]
“The love Christ Jesus gave/ Be filling every heart for me,/ The love Christ Jesus gave/ Filling me for everyone.”- Traditional Scottish blessing, Nineteenth Century In Chapter 1 (“Blessing in the Beginning”) of Given: The Forgotten Meaning and Practice of Blessing, author Tina Boesch relates a conversation she had with a Turkish friend while living […]
“Instead of running west, just plunge into the darkness. That’s counterintuitive. If you even think about it, all your instincts rebel. We avoid desperation, simply hoping the situation clears itself up, waiting for the darkness to lighten. But what if the desperation is a grace disguised? What if fighting your way through the darkness is […]
“Suffering is the intersection where life’s deepest pains meet with the most wonderful blessings of grace. . . . Suffering is where weakness intersects with strength, confusion intersects with wisdom, sorrow intersects with joy, and despair intersects with hope.”- Paul David Tripp In Chapter 14 (“The Comfort of a Heart at Rest”), the final chapter […]
“Here is suffering’s paradox: the very things we would do anything to avoid, the very things that confront our understanding of who we are, and the very things that cause us the most pain become the very things that usher into our lives the blessings of help, hope, peace, and rest that we all long […]
“Where God tears great gaps we should not try to fill them with human words. They should remain open. Our only comfort is the God of the resurrection, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. . .”- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, A Testament to Freedom: The Essential Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer “Pain shields us from living a […]
“A vow of praise can happen right in the midst of uncertainty. This is an announcement of faith. It’s an ‘I’m not giving up on God just yet’ plan. . . . We need a vow of praise to help us hold out for better days.”- Esther Fleece “I remain confident in this; I will […]
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”- Dr. Tony Evans “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from […]