Passion Week Meditations — Day 2: Monday
In the morning sunlight, before most of the village inhabitants have left their homes, a small group of men exits a house in Bethany and they walk up the slope on the east side of the Mount of Olives. For a second day they travel along the road to Jerusalem — this time without the shouting throngs that accompanied them yesterday. Jesus leads the way. Being hungry, He catches sight of a fig tree along the roadside. Although it has leaves, its expected fruit is nowhere to be
Passion Week Meditations — Day 1: Palm Sunday
Children run alongside the donkey carrying a man everyone recognizes. He had raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11) not many days ago. Crowds of people gather and join the procession (Matthew 21). Their shouts ring out, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:9 ESV) — phrases taken right out of Psalm 118:22–29. “Hosanna” in Hebrew means “Do save!” This is their long-awaited King, fulfilling Zechariah 9:9. From Bethany, the procession moves to the top of the
NEXT UP: Remember the Wonders of God
It is a privilege to proclaim the wonders of God, but it is also expected of Christians. If the people of God do not remember and proclaim the wonders of God, nobody will. When we cease to think and talk about God’s great deeds, we cease to seek Him for our needs, which are consuming and demanding; they will not go unmet. Therefore, we reach for something to satisfy our yearnings. But if we turn anywhere other than God, we have turned away from life and toward death. This
What Will You See? – Waterfalls
One thing people on river trips through the Grand Canyon are often surprised by are the number of waterfalls we encounter. In such a drastically dry desert environment, seeing water cascading from canyon crevices is an unexpected delight. The Grand Canyon is home to numerous waterfalls, both large and small. The most well-known waterfall in the Grand Canyon would have to be Havasu Falls. Standing at the base of this tumbling torrent of turquoise and travertine whisks you away to another world — seeming an island paradise, rather than
NEXT UP: The Beginning Matters
In the second part of our NEXT UP: Why Does This Matter? series I want to talk about why the beginning matters. In case you missed the first part, you can click here to read. I have often enjoyed the Indiana Jones movies. My favorite was “The Last Crusade.” The plot of this adventurous movie was to locate the holy grail. It was thought the grail possessed the power to give eternal youth to those who drank from it. Indiana Jones desired to find the grail to keep it
What Will You See? – Snow
One of the surprising things to many who come to Northern Arizona is the fact that we have snow. And when I say snow, I mean not just a little, but quite a lot! In fact, Flagstaff is often listed as one of the top 10 snowiest cities in America each year. While we see a fair amount of it on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon as well, it pales in comparison to the North Rim. Being roughly a thousand feet higher in elevation than the
NEXT UP: Why Does This Matter?
At age 19, I was tasked with turning an old building into a teen outreach center. The building was located near what was known as “Uptown” in the Minneapolis, MN area and experienced many of the typical inner city issues. Not long after the renovations were completed, we began running various community outreach programs. Shortly thereafter, a small contingent of the Crips gang moved into the neighborhood and began causing problems. The gang headquarters was located about a block from our building. Though their activities had not escalated
How to See the Grand Canyon
Every year, millions of visitors from around the world come to see the Grand Canyon, and there are many ways in which they do so. For many, the canyon is just a short stop along their route as they are traveling through the region. They will see it only briefly from a few vantage points at best. Others may spend an entire day, or more, driving around taking in the different views. This may be a fine way to visit this natural wonder, but it’s only scratching
Why Geology and Canyon Ministries?
Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon, Sedona, or some other unique geologic formation and simply been in awe? This unexplainable feeling of wonder sweeps over you and you’re left staring, jaw dropped, as your baffled mind tries to comprehend how the processes of today compare (or don’t compare) to what may have formed it? While it is okay to stay living in awe, I want more. What do these rocks tell us about the past? What do they tell us about the present? Dare I even
NEXT UP: Our 2020 Vision
“The Grand Canyon is one of the natural wonders of the world. If we don’t give it a voice for God, who will?” - Monte Albert at age 13 Proclaiming the wonders of God is a privilege, but it is also an expectation. If God’s people will not proclaim His wonders, no one will! Our world is desperate for hope. However, many choose to place their trust in themselves or temporary, earthly things. There is no hope found there. Hope is the direct product of trusting God and His