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Devotion

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‘Let no one who is not eager for truth and peace enter here’ (Plato)

Articles on this site express varying points of view, to encourage mature thinking on serious issues. The assumption is that you will want to study a controversial topic from various angles before you arrive at a conclusion, rather than simply believe what someone told you when you were impressionable! (So some stuff here is ‘hot’. Proceed at your own risk!). See the Statement of Faith for John Mark Ministries' theological stance.

Surprised In The Dark.

By and others ⋅ January 5, 2003 ⋅ Post a comment

Here’s another daily meditation from my recent book of devotions ‘Sunrise Sunset’ (HarperCollins/Harper San Francisco). Feel free to use/adapt it. These appear regularly on our mail-list. Shalom!Rowland Croucher (‘servus servorum dei’; AMDG)   Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it […]

Are You Prepared?

By and others ⋅ January 5, 2003 ⋅ Post a comment

Read: Matthew 16:24-28 The foolishness of fools is folly. -Proverbs 14:24 Intelligent people can sometimes be unbelievably foolish. Consider the 19th-century explorers of the Franklin Expedition who tried to reach the North Pole. Annie Dillard, in her book Teaching A Stone To Talk, describes the provisions they took for that hazardous journey: “Each sailing vessel […]

What Happiness Is Not

By and others ⋅ January 5, 2003 ⋅ Post a comment

Here’s another daily meditation from my recent book of devotions ‘Sunrise Sunset’ (HarperCollins/Harper San Francisco). Feel free to use/adapt it. These appear regularly on our mail-list. Shalom!Rowland Croucher (‘servus servorum dei’; AMDG)   Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread… Psalm 1:1. Just […]

Heaven’s Arithmetic

By and others ⋅ January 5, 2003 ⋅ Post a comment

There was once a king who wanted to build a church that would honour him. He would personally supervise the work and only he would provide the money for its erection. The glory was to be his, and it was intended that by this means his name would be revered and remembered by successive generations. […]

What Is Happiness?

By and others ⋅ January 5, 2003 ⋅ Post a comment

Here’s another daily meditation from my recent book of devotions ‘Sunrise Sunset’ (HarperCollins/Harper San Francisco). Feel free to use/adapt it. These appear regularly on our mail-list. Shalom!Rowland Croucher (‘servus servorum dei’; AMDG)   Happy are all who take refuge in [the Lord]. Psalm 2:11. Happiness is lots of things, but primarily three: * Happiness is […]

The Woodwork Angel

By and others ⋅ January 5, 2003 ⋅ Post a comment

My teeth screamed. I couldn’t neglect them any longer. I finally ignored my fear of dentists and decided to get them fixed. But how? I was a college sophomore and barely supported myself with part-time jobs. Maybe I could fix the worst one. I flipped open the Yellow Pages and called the first dentist within […]

Confess – And You Will Be Forgiven.

By and others ⋅ January 5, 2003 ⋅ Post a comment

Here’s another daily meditation from my recent book of devotions ‘Sunrise Sunset’ (HarperCollins/Harper San Francisco). Feel free to use/adapt it. These appear regularly on our mail-list. Shalom!Rowland Croucher (‘servus servorum dei’; AMDG) Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Psalm 32:1. Psalm 32 is a penitential Psalm , probably written by […]

Justice And Mercy

By and others ⋅ January 5, 2003 ⋅ Post a comment

There was once a photographer who’s difficult job it was to satisfy celebrities. He was an honest and outspoken man. One day when a particularly obnoxious and unattractive socialite asked him, when undertaking her portrait, ‘to do her justice’, he really spoke his mind. “Madam,” he said, “it isn’t justice you need, but mercy.” No […]

Forgiveness – An Event, Not Just An Idea

By and others ⋅ January 5, 2003 ⋅ Post a comment

Steve Hayes is replying to Steve Hayes, who wrote to All on 16 Feb 98 12:52:07: SH> From: “Rowland C. Croucher” <> SH> Subject: Major Christian Paradigm Shifts: what were they? SH> Date: 9 Feb 1998 22:51:33 -0500 SH> SH> Hans Kung somewhere writes that there were six major paradigm shifts SH> in Christian history. […]

Failure Is Not Trying

By and others ⋅ January 5, 2003 ⋅ Post a comment

The Magic Pebbles “Why do we have to learn all of this dumb stuff?” Of all the complaints and questions I have heard from my students during my years in the classroom, this was the one most frequently uttered. I would answer it by recounting the following legend. One night a group of nomads were […]

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