Suffering

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ODJ: looking beyond calvary

The Mount Grace Priory is one of England’s best preserved medieval monasteries. For hundreds of years Carthusian monks lived there in solitude, devoting themselves to prayer. The priory’s ruins are impressive, but a more modern monument caught my attention on a recent visit to the site.

At the centre of the priory church stands a sculpture called the Madonna of the Cross. Crafted

ODJ: suffering for good

Within the span of just 20 minutes last December, four Pakistani women were shot and killed in the city of Karachi. A fifth woman was shot in the city of Peshawar. To make the situation even more horrific, these women were medical staff, implementing a polio vaccine programme organised by the UN. A spokesman for the Karachi police explained to the BBC how “these were pre-planned and coordinated

ODB: Surrounded By Mercy

It was almost impossible not to see the giant billboard with the red background and huge white letters that shouted: “This year thousands of men will die from stubbornness.” Later I learned that the billboard was one of hundreds just like it targeted at middle-aged men who typically avoid routine medical screenings and often die from preventable conditions.Psalm 32 deals with the spiritual dis

ODJ: shouting to silence

Last year, during a well publicised political debate, one man repeatedly shouted his responses, talked over the other candidate’s responses and laughed as his opponent stated his case. Why did he do it? He was striving to silence the other candidate with his noise.
Stephen could relate. As the fledgling New Testament church was just taking flight, the “man full of God’s grace and power

ODJ: shamed and disarmed

Hospital chaplain Matt Marino received a call to go to a patient’s room. He expected to find someone gravely ill, fearful or clinging to life. Instead, he was surprised to find a “strikingly attractive 23 year old sitting up cheerfully in the hospital bed, holding her infant daughter and chatting with family and friends.” Confused, Matt quietly asked the nurse why he had been called.

ODJ: Spirit power

Last year a man wrote his own obituary before he died of cancer. The obit revealed the man’s sense of humour, but it also detailed some serious confession. The 59 year old came clean about stealing a safe from a business as a young man and lying about a doctorate degree he hadn’t earned. In death, his secret sins were exposed. His posthumous spilling of the beans revealed transgressions he had

ODJ: greater than our shame

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God is greater than our shame. Because Saul failed to realise this, his life ended tragically. The Israelites were engaged in a fierce battle and suffered defeat at the hands of the Philistines on Mt. Gilboa. That day the Philistines killed Saul’s three sons and wounded him. Humiliation, torture and death were likely to follow his capture. Unable to endure the shame, Saul committed suicide.

ODJ: healed

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But my theology and practice have often collided whenever I didn’t see God move in the way I expected. Recently, however, God unpacked a few more layers of understanding for me as I stepped forward to receive prayer for a torn meniscus at a youth service.

With teenagers gathered around me, I felt humbled to be the recipient of their prayers—especially since so many of them strugg

ODJ: disappointment and hope

A 5 year old boy was told that his family was goingto the Grand Canyon. He could hardly wait.When the day finally arrived, the boy was visibly disappointed. He said, “I thought you said that it was a big cannon.” When you’re hoping for the Grand Cannon, you’ll be let down, even by something as spectacular as the Grand Canyon!

Something similar happened with the two dis