Sanctified – Reflection on John 17:11b-19 or John 17:11-19 When my mother was unexpectedly dying, we had a lifetime of conversations in one phone call that we should have spread out over time. Among the many topics that melted my heart was when she said how grateful she was to the…
Author: Jerry
John 16:20-23 Reflection – The Sheer Grace
“Ah, The Sheer Grace” – Reflection on John 16:20-23 To quote John of the Cross, “One dark night, fired with love’s urgent longings, ah, the sheer grace!” as nothing seems to get in the way of joy. John of the Cross also speaks of times during these nights of sense…
John 16:16-20 Reflection – A Little While
A Little While – Reflection on John 16:16-20 As we more deeply understand how to let Jesus rise within us, the greater we can know the joy that fills us. Necessary in this cycle is an internal processing of our inner strengths that we will need to deal with the…
John 16:12-15 Reflection – Declare to You
Declare to You – John 16:12-15 Reflection Are you willing to bear the truth about your brokenness and the world with the Holy Spirit’s help? Further, have you dared to believe and accept that the Spirit hears your inner self speak? If we allow it, the Spirit can transform us…
John 16:5-11 Reflection – Fullness of Christ
Fullness of Christ – Reflection on John 16:5-11 When we hear the word advocate, we think of someone who can help represent our voice and support us. Our advocate, the Holy Spirit that consoles us, can also expose the rawness of our participation “in the world” if we are willing.…
John 15:26-16:4a Reflection – Moment of Surrender
Moment of Surrender – John 15:26-16:4a Reflection As a teenager, I came close to stumbling into spiritual gluttony, nearly reducing Spirit, Christ, and Father to the point of separation. Fortunately, I realized this was a disruption of an integrated life. I now wear a Trinity Cross as a reminder that…
John 15:9-17 Reflection – Christ’s joy
Christ’s Joy – Reflection on John 15:9-17 Continuously holding the mystery of Jesus as our friend in our hearts strengthens our ability to treat everyone like friends. With Jesus’s all-embracing and unconditional love, our human weaknesses will melt away, making room for Jesus’s love to flow to others. Lord, we…
John 15:18-21 Reflection – Help Reveal Christ
Help Reveal Christ – Reflection on John 15:18-21 The signs we are in rather than of the world are evident, such as needing to walk away from some conversations, decreased need for recognition, and preferring daily solace in prayer. For even the strongest Christians, a complete exit from of the…
John 14:6-14 Reflection – Works Greater Than These
Works Greater Than These – Reflection on John 14:6-14 Believing that “works greater than these” nagged at me for over four decades. Undoubtedly, the question of Christ’s response to Thomas and Philip has become real for you at some point in your journey. Almost every Christian I have had deep…
John 15:9-11 Reflection – Cooperating with Joy
Cooperating with Joy – Reflection on John 15:9-11 Love’s journey can be a crooked line if we are not exposed to love’s depth in our youth. It can be hard to understand how to embrace love as the primary virtue until we fall in love with open arms. You have…