Adam L. Feldman's Blog, page 5

Acting for Justice with the Gospel

I am completely undone. The news ofthe police shootings this week of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling has. just. broken. me. I have no words to express the complex and disorienting mixture of grief, fear, shame, pain, helplessness, and anger that churns within me. I groan to the Lord for answers, for help, for guidance, for healing. I want to see people trust the police again, I want to see the police trust people again. I want healing, hope, and justice. I want Jesus’ Kingdom to come on e...

Book Review: A Spirituality of Listening

It is only fitting that I finished reading Keith R. Anderson’s book A Spirituality of Listening: Living What We Hearwhile at a cabin in a mountain community where I had my first (of many) retreat of silence and solitude. On my first retreat so many years ago now (16 years ago, maybe??) I read Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growthand my mind and heart opened to the world of Christian spiritual formation. Anderson’s book is another helpful book for my library...

Memorial Day 2016 Reflections

Today is Memorial Day in the United States of America. It is a day set aside to remember those men and women who gave their life in military service to purchase and protect our freedom with their blood, sweat, and tears. In my own family, I remember my two grandfathers who both were deployed overseas during World War II. One was stationed in the Pacific (Philippines) and the other in Europe (UK and Belgium). I am also fortunate enough to trace my family tree back as far as the Revolutionary W...

Why Your Pastor Dreads Monday

Your pastor won’t tell you this, so I’m going to do it for him. Its equally a confession and a cry for help for you to care more deeply for yourpastor. Okay… deep breath… here it is:

If I’m honest, there are more Mondays than I wish to admit when I just want to give up pastoring and find a 9-to-5 job where I can clock in, do my job, and clock out without any worry that my work will follow me home at night, on the weekends, on vacations, while at my daughter’s dance recital, or on a date with...

Book Review: “Desiring God’s Will”

Desiring God’s Will: Aligning Our Hearts with the Heart of God by David G. Benner was first published over a decade ago, but was recently updated in an “expanded edition.” I’ll be reviewing the expanded edition in this article.Desiring God’s Will is also part of a trilogy that Benner wrote, with the first two books in the trilogy beingSurrender to Love andThe Gift of Being.Each book can be read “stand alone,” so you will be fine reading just one of them.

About the book

Benner suggeststhat we...

Lord of Suffering (Psalm 22), Good Friday

We’ve been reflecting on the Passion Psalms (Psalm 22-30) for several weeks now during the season of Lent. The final Passion Psalm that is prayed during Lent is Psalm 22. Its the longest of the Passion Psalms, and its also the one Jesus quoted from the cross (see Mark 15:33-39).

Each week I have encouraged you to read the Psalms slowly, asking the Lord to reveal a word or phrase that he wanted to press upon your heart and soul. This Good Friday Psalm will require an extended period of time to...

Lord of Healing (Psalm 30), Maundy Thursday

I grew up in a church tradition that did not observe Maundy Thursday, so I had no clue what this day was all about until I was an adult. It was when I was much older that I learned “maundy” referred to Jesus washing his disciples’ feet (see John 13:1-17) and that “Maundy Thursday” is a day to remember the Last Supper (see Mark 14:12-31). This is why Maundy Thursday is always the Thursday before Easter Sunday.

Today is Maundy Thursday. Today is the day we remember Jesus’ humble servant leaders...

Lord of Splendor (Psalm 29)

My elementary school age daughter enjoys reading the Fancy Nancyseries of books. If you are not familiar with Fancy Nancy, the protagonist is a little girl with a penchant for “fancy” words. Nancy’s “fancy” words are words that teenagers may refer to as “SAT words.” They are often uncommon in everyday vocabulary and are much longer and more difficult to spell than the run-of-the-mill vocabulary list sent home from school. When I think of the word “splendor,” I think of Fancy Nancy.

“Splendor”...

Lord of Strength (Psalm 28)

Sometimes we get way too comfortable with the Bible and begin thinking of it as though it were rated PG.

For instance, we’ll start telling our children about David and Goliath and then, with horror, get to that part when David pulls out Goliath’s sword from its scabbard and slices the head off the giant. Or, we’ll read about Noah and all those cute and fluffy animals he saves (and eats), and then uncomfortably get to the part where every human being—every single one—who was not on the ark was...

Lord of Salvation (Psalm 27)

As I write this Lenten devotional today, the sun is out and we are in the midst of a “heat wave” (such as it is in the Mid-Atlantic in early March). Its a beautiful day—the sun is warm, the birds are singing, the breeze is refreshing. You can almost feelwinter gently blowing away… across the field… through the woods… skimming streams and ponds… wafting away to rest for several months.

Isn’t this experience—the transition from the chill of winter to the warmth of spring—similar to our soul’s e...