by Peter James | May 13, 2025 | Lloyd Ogilvie
His ambition in high school was to become a Hollywood actor. Instead, he went to Hollywood as a preacher. Lloyd John Ogilvie (1930-2019) told a story about waking early one Sunday morning, feeling the urge to review his sermon one last time. He stopped by a local...
by Peter James | May 12, 2025 | Evelyn Underhill
When my dad was alive, he liked to tell people I was the least likely person he had ever known to go into the ministry. I observe something similar with regard to people I encounter in the church. Some of the least likely people become committed Christ followers while...
by Peter James | May 11, 2025 | Celtic prayer
I’ve avoided the traditional “Irish blessing” in this daily exercise of prayer until now. To my way of thinking, this prayer has been over-sentimentalized as a needlepoint favorite or a staple at weddings. Silly me! I’ve allowed its...
by Peter James | May 10, 2025 | Robert Robinson
Robert Robinson (1735-1790) was riding in a stagecoach. To break the monotony of the trip, a fellow passenger began to sing softly the hymn “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” The young woman asked Robert what he thought of the song. “Madam, I am...
by Peter James | May 9, 2025 | Nicolas Herman
I’m fascinated by all the ways, dramatic and ordinary, by which people come to faith in Jesus. Nicolas Herman (1614-1691) of Lorraine, France was converted by a tree. Seriously! When he was eighteen, he came upon a tree stripped of its leaves in winter. The...
