Philemon I have boxes and drawers filled with piles of letters. Some of them may not be worth keeping, but for others there is no doubt. For example, I have a couple of letters my mother received from her father when she was in college. His words of encouragement to her are a part of our family story that we cherish. If letter-writing is a lost art, that would be a tragedy. Because even though they are set in particular times and circumstances, the subjects of letters are often timeless. I am so glad my mother saved those letters from her father, making them a part of our story. And I am so glad the church saved this letter from Paul because it is an important part of our story. Unlike most of his letters, this is one that sounds almost like a letter we would write. It is not […]
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No Longer Strangers, Part 4: Making Peace
Ephesians 4:25-5:2 On a Saturday afternoon recently, Kim and I were listening to Harry Chapin’s music while we were working around the house. When the song, Cat’s in the Cradle, came on we both stopped what we were doing and just listened. It’s one of his most famous songs. It tells the story of a father who has a son. It starts out: A child was born just the other day, He came to the world in the usual way, But there were planes to catch and bills to pay, He learned to walk while I was away. He was talking before I knew it, and as he grew he said, “I’m gonna be like you, dad. You know I’m gonna be like you. And the song goes on like that; in each verse, a different stage in the child’s development presents opportunities that are missed by this father, to […]
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