One of the most important concepts of the Christian understanding of God is grace. God is said to be gracious, full of grace. Also, fortunately for us, God is also said to be full of mercy. Perhaps the best brief definition of both mercy and grace is this: “Mercy is when you don’t get what you deserve; grace is when you get what you don’t deserve.” Salvation ends up being a gift of sheer grace, to be received by faith in Christ. Grace means that God does not have to do what God does, that God does not operate out of necessity but total freedom. Imagine a person choosing to be kind and consider ..read more

If you want to have friends, you must first be a friend. Call it a “boomerang effect”: whatever signals you send out, will sooner or later come back to you. Here are twelve principles for being a friend, especially when another is in need of a friend: 1. Follow the Golden Rule. Be the friend to the other you want the other to be to you. Apply your self-understanding to the other, for we share a common humanity. Yet never assume that the other feels just like you, or you like the other. Respect, do not gloss over differences. 2. Be present for and with the other. Here is a key to friendship: be ..read more

Many persons think that being a Christian is about what you have to give up, rather than what treasure you might receive. Yet the truth is, what may appear as a sacrifice from the outside, will in fact be anything but a sacrifice from the inside, for the persons making it. Does God seek sacrifice from us? Are we supposed to get rid of all our possessions, so that we may possess the kingdom of heaven, whatever and whenever that is? God says through the prophet Hosea that God desires “steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hos 6:6). Jesus slightly a ..read more

Many persons think that being a Christian is about what you have to give up, rather than what treasure you might receive. Yet the truth is, what may appear as a sacrifice from the outside, will in fact be anything but a sacrifice from the inside, for the persons making it. Does God seek sacrifice from us? Are we supposed to get rid of all our possessions, so that we may possess the kingdom of heaven, whatever and whenever that is? God says through the prophet Hosea that God desires “steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hos 6:6). Jesus slightly am ..read more

God is not only our Father. God is also our Mother. God is in truth, our Single Parent. And we learn right away in Genesis 1:27 that both male and female are made equally in God’s image: “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” That means the one God functions as both our Mother and Father. Through Isaiah, God says:“Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones. But Zion said, ‘The LORD has forsaken me ..read more

https://drhalgreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/THE-BENEFITS-OF-PRAYER.mp3 Prayer establishes your personal, private relationship with God. It is the greatest love relationship you will ever have; it may begin here, but it will not end here. Amazingly, it is eternal. When you pray, the hidden God will be gazing on you from eternity, and seeing not only where you are, but where God wants you to be. God seeks what is best for you not only for the moment, but for eternity. Your task is to let God be God, and to seek above all to do God’s will, even if you do not understand the “whys.” Trust th ..read more

There is a little bit of vastness in each of us. It is a vastness we ought to visit on occasion, and sit silently with. This vastness does not announce itself, but simply shows up, as a hushed witness of something greater than ourselves dwelling with and in us. There are different kinds of vastness, of course, from the heavens to the heart, the macro to the micro. And even a final goodbye kiss can be vast—meaning difficult to measure the full significance of. I remember the final kiss of a wife whose husband of fifty-four years succumbed to a long-term illness. He had just passed, and we sat ..read more

I recently got an email from a distraught friend, regarding a common issue for many people, including me. This person wrote: “I am a Christian; I really do believe in God. My problem is that I still have a lot of fear in my life. I fear for my own and my loved ones’ safety and well-being. I am just not sure what tomorrow is going to bring. Believe me, I could go on and on! I am afraid to admit this to my friends. How can I get over my fear?” So what is God’s cure for fear? It is as simple as it is effective. The key is this: rest your whole being on God in absolute trust. Trust in God cancels ..read more

Mechthild of Magdeburg (1210-1280), in Northern Germany, was a complicated and profound spiritual writer and nun. And she was something of a free-spirit, whose prayers speak to a modern audience. She sure speaks to me, especially when she connects prayer with dancing. Why not prayer as dancing with God? We get so stiff and formal and burdensome in our praying that we forget that prayer is also meant to be joyous, even fun. So let your heart dance with Mechthild as you read and pray her prayer: “I cannot dance, O Lord, unless you lead me. If it is your will, I can leap with joy. But you must sh ..read more

https://drhalgreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/PRAYER-AS-DANCING-WITH-GOD.mp3 Mechthild of Magdeburg (1210-1280), in Northern Germany, was a complicated and profound spiritual writer and nun. And she was something of a free-spirit, whose prayers speak to a modern audience. She sure speaks to me, especially when she connects prayer with dancing. Why not prayer as dancing with God? We get so stiff and formal and burdensome in our praying that we forget that prayer is also meant to be joyous, even fun. So let your heart dance with Mechthild as you read and pray her prayer: “I cannot dance, O ..read more