Category Archives: Compassion

Eight Minutes and Forty-Six Seconds

Posted on June 6, 2020 by tmrichmond3

Eight minutes and forty-six seconds is a long time. In grand scheme of things, it is not that long. But eight minutes and forty-six seconds is a long time if you are kneeling silently in prayer in the hot sun. … Continue reading →

Posted in Ahmaud Arbery, Black Lives Matter, BLM, Compassion, George Forbes, Justice, Racism, religion and politics, Social Justice, Social Ministry, Spiritual Growth | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Did Ye Get Healed

Posted on January 8, 2020 by tmrichmond3

  In 1987, the singer Van Morrison, best known for his song “Brown-Eyed Girl,” released an album called  Poetic Champions Compose which included a powerful song called, “Did Ye Get Healed.” You may be surprised to see that the title … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Church Growth, Communion, Compassion, Growth, Healing, Jesus, ministry, Mission, Musings, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching, Relationships, Sermons, Social Justice, Social Ministry, spirituality | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Praying the Psalms in Detention

Posted on July 20, 2019 by tmrichmond3

Every morning, when I do my morning devotions, I read from the Psalms.  About every two months I work my way through all the Psalms at least once. Psalms are prayers, so when I say I read through, I am … Continue reading →

Posted in Compassion, Current Events, Devotional, Evil, Immigration, Lament, Mission, Old Testament, Prayer, Psalms, religion and politics, Social Justice, Social Ministry, Spiritual Growth, spirituality, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Love Your Enemies

Posted on February 26, 2019 by tmrichmond3

      Joseph There is the idea that the Old Testament is the book of Law, and the New Testament is all about grace. That is broadly true, but there are large elements of grace and forgiveness in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Compassion, Forgive Your enemies, forgiveness, Jesus, Joseph, Love, Spiritual Growth, spirituality | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Total Depravity and Redemption

Posted on February 23, 2019 by tmrichmond3

I have a Facebook friend who regularly posts about the inner peace he finds by avoiding the news like a plague. He has a kind of evangelical fervor about it (you too can enjoy this serenity, and all you have … Continue reading →

Posted in A River Runs Through It, Compassion, Current Events, Evil, Growth, Hope, ministry, News, Social Justice, Social Ministry, Spiritual Growth, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spiritual Politics and other Rare Breeds

Posted on January 2, 2019 by tmrichmond3

  Writing almost 50 years ago, Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk in Kentucky, wrote about what he called political principles spiritualized by the Gospel. In his book Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, Merton’s reflections on society at large, he starts … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Compassion, Hope, Musings, Poor, religion and politics, Social Justice, Social Ministry, Uncategorized, Virtue, Wealth | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Growth in Grace

Posted on December 31, 2018 by tmrichmond3

    Parenting, as most parents know, can be a terrifying experience. Rewarding, yes, but also terrifying. Somehow you know, that when you hold that little bitty baby in your arms, that you are going to provide a good living … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Compassion, forgiveness, Growth, Jesus, Jesus Boyhood, ministry, Musings, Salvation, Social Justice, Social Ministry, Spiritual Growth, spirituality, Transformation, Virtue | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mighty Mites

Posted on November 13, 2018 by tmrichmond3

  Lucifer vs. Tit for Tat During the Cuban missile crisis in the early 1960s, social scientists were working on how to respond to the nuclear threat in ways that would stop either side from blowing up the world. If … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Church Growth, Community, Compassion, Courage, forgiveness, Jesus, ministry, Mission, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching, Sermons, Social Justice, Social Ministry, spirituality, Theology, Wealth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Making the Right Mistakes

Posted on October 27, 2018 by tmrichmond3

The great jazz musician Thelonious Monk once told one of his sidemen, “You’re making all the wrong mistakes!” Monk was known as musician who did things differently, who played with a kind of dissonance that sounded like he was making … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Compassion, Jazz, ministry, Mission, Musings, Pastoral Ministry, Social Ministry, spirituality, Thelonious Monk | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Diner Theology

Posted on October 20, 2018 by tmrichmond3

I love eating in diners. You how to tell if you are in a good diner? Your coffee cup is never empty. There is always a waitress coming by to fill it. You get to half a cup and this … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Compassion, Jesus, ministry, Mission, Musings, Poor, Social Justice, Social Ministry, Spiritual Growth, spirituality, Wealth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment