Doug McCulley, Herbert Avenue, Fanwood, NJ

Freedom Tower & The Memorial (2023) revised.

We have yet to go into the new TOWER but toured the Museum 3 years ago. Several times we have visited the Memorial and St. Paul’s Chapel, an historic nearby church that was the center of activity after September 11. It has also become a Memorial/Museum.

We have walked around the area a few times— Our son, Drew, worked nearby for several years. The area has completely been rebuilt.

Yet with all the changes, we are daily mindful.

Originally written on the 10th Anniversary.

September 10

For her birthday, our neighbors’ son, Greg, had taken his fiancée, Kim, into the city, which included a trip to the World Trade Center Observation Deck. It had been such a beautiful Monday night. The view was amazing. No one would have guessed that they would be among the very last to see the city from that vantage point.

A Stellar Tuesday Morning

It was a magnificent start to the day. I had been outside for a while. It was easily one of the most beautiful days of the year. I was working on the computer when I got a phone call to tell me that a plane had flown into one of the towers. My thoughts immediately went to Bob. I would often talk to Bob on his way to or from the Fanwood train station. His office was on the 64th floor and he had been in the Towers during the first bombing (1993). I quickly walked down the street to sit with Barbara. Her phone kept ringing. Several times she repeated “I don’t know…” Another neighbor, Bonnie, came over and began to answer the phone and then Robin arrived to be with her mom as we all waited for some news. And then the first tower fell. And then the second.

At some point in this I talked to my wife, Brenda. Her school students had several parents who worked in the Towers. They were trying so hard to keep them all calm. They would not lose any parents, but some students lost more distant relatives.

Terrifying Moments

I would later learn that another neighbor, Nancy, was on the subway under City Hall. They sat for over an hour not knowing what had happened. They were finally evacuated out emergency steps and told to run north. There were fears about City Hall being a target. Her brother was in one of the Towers but escaped.

Josh, son of our friends, Jim & Carol, was on a train about to leave New Jersey for the Towers, when it was stopped. If he had caught the earlier train, He would have been at the towers just before the collapse.

Jean Paul, from our church, worked in lower Manhattan. He and other coworkers went out to see if they could help after the first plane hit. They were on the backside of the tower and had to dodge debris when the second plane exploded through the building. They quickly evacuated with everyone else.

Another neighbor had a daughter who was to be in the City for a job interview. They weren’t sure where in Manhattan she was and of course couldn’t reach her on her cell phone. Eventually they found out she had been in Midtown.

We all wanted to know where our family members were.

11 a.m.

Still no word from Bob. His son-in-law arrived totally distraught. He worked in Jersey City just across the Hudson from lower Manhattan. He and his coworkers had a terrifying ‘front row seat’ as the first tower collapsed. They all knew people who worked those offices.

The phone kept ringing. About 12:30 I believe Robin answered the phone call of the day. Bob was safe. Even though they were telling people to stay in the building, he insisted his office evacuate. He was in the Tower in 1993 and he wanted his people out.

The tears and anxiety of several hours was replaced with relief and tears of joy. I will never forget the indescribable tension of that morning.

Washington Rock

After we heard from Bob, I went to the counseling office. I think most of our appointments that day were canceled. Washington Rock was about a mile from our office. From there you can see lower Manhattan. (It is here that George Washington watched to see if the British were following his troops as they retreated from New York.)

I stopped. Such a clear day made the smoke arising from what we would later call Ground Zero so distinct. It seemed like we could smell the burning. People had gathered– all shaking in disbelief, crying. Many were on their knees—overcome with grief, driven to prayer. Scenes like this were common in many places in our state that week. There are many points that the City is visible from New Jersey.

Later Brenda, Drew and I were home. We had received many calls from family to check on us. Our daughter, Cassie, was in college in South Carolina. It was so good to hear her voice. Most of the parents of Brenda’s students had contacted the school to let their children know that were okay. A few years later at another school, she would teach several students who lost a mom or dad that day.

Seeing Bob

It was about dusk when I saw Bob walking home. I hugged him and we talked briefly as I walked with him towards his house. He said almost everyone below the first impact got out safely. I asked about how many he thought were lost and he accurately estimated that it was probably about 3000 who were lost at the Towers. (Bob estimate was quite accurate. For several days the number was estimated to be as high as 7000.)

“It really happened” Stunned Numbness.

The next few days are still surreal. “It really happened” does start to sink in. At the counseling center we saw families who had close calls and some who had lost loved ones.

In the City

I volunteered to go into the City with the Salvation Army. On Saturday, we were dropped off at the Armory and 2 things were so striking. The Armory and the buildings in the area were covered with the postings of pictures of those that were missing. It reminded me so much of the Viet Nam Memorial Wall in D.C. The other gut wrenching sight was the simple sign “DNA Samples” with an arrow. Here was where survivors were bringing hairbrushes and other items to hopefully help identify remains.

Here is where you also heard the stories.

A distraught man in late 30’s talked about his wife who worked for the State of New York in Albany. One day a month she would train down to a state office in the Towers. September 11th was that one day. They had 3 children.

A mother told of her 30-year-old son. He had a dental appointment for that Tuesday morning, but because they were running behind on a project at work, he had rescheduled it for the following week. He was at work.

A young doctor from the Coroner’s Office, Bellevue Hospital, came for food for the workers. They had been working round the clock since Tuesday night. We filled a cart and I walked with him the few blocks to the hospital. When we got to the hospital he stopped. It was as if he didn’t want to go back in. “Everybody keeps calling me asking me if I have seen their loved ones. They don’t understand we aren’t recovering recognizable remains. Then this morning they finally bring in a body that is intact and I knew him! It’s the father of a friend of mine.” With that he collapsed in my arms.

A policeman told me he was nearby helping to evacuate people when the first building collapsed. He helped several people get in a door to keep from being buried in the dust and debris from the collapse. He later learned that his brother who did not work in the Towers was in that building for a meeting and perished in the collapse.

And the stories would continue. The numbers became people— husbands, wives, sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, friends.

A Ride to Ground Zero

While at the Armory, we were handing out water to families and workers, listening to their stories. It was also the staging area for some supplies to take to the Ground Zero workers. People had heard that there were requests for water, gloves, bananas, etc. and cars were constantly stopping and dropping off these items and asking what else can we do.

At one point, I ended up in a van taking supplies to Ground Zero. As we approached we turned a corner and suddenly I was looking at the standing remains of WTC 7. It is a picture that is often shown. I was just a few steps from where all of this happened. As we unloaded the supplies we could see the soot covered workers coming out of Ground Zero. They walked so slowly and I remember the grief on their faces.

We drove up the Westside Highway past the park area between Hudson and the road. There tens of thousands had gathered to support and just cheer on the workers.

The Following Weeks

At the Counseling Center we sat with people who had lost loved ones. I worked with a mother and her 3 children who lost a husband/dad. We talked to people who worked for the airline, had known the crew of United Flight 93, who met with the families and arranged for flights to the Pennsylvania crash site. People who worked for the phone companies who helped the families by converting voicemails and recorded announcements onto audio tapes for them to keep.

And each day the state’s largest newspaper would have a lengthy article about many of the nearly 700 NJ victims. For several weeks out of respect for them, we felt like we needed to read each article. But at times the grief was too much. It felt as if we couldn’t bear another story.

Shea Stadium

With some reluctance, I attended the first ball game played in New York after the attacks. Our son, Drew, had really wanted to attend. Standing on the concourse of Shea Stadium for a few innings I stared at Ground Zero– 10 days later and still burning.

The attendance of families who had lost loved ones, especially emergency personnel added to solemnity. The crowd shouted “U S A” from the time they arrived until Mike Piazza hit a home run in the bottom of the 8th when everyone was just burst out into cheers of relief. It was strange to be there while others were grieving, but it seemed important for people to be able to gather together again.

Some relief, but as we left, we could still see the glow from Ground Zero.

The “BathTub” refers to the underground foundation area at the site of the World Trade Center and accompanying buildings in New York City. The term bathtub is a bit of a misnomer, as the area does not hold any water; rather the purpose of its design is to keep water out. The name is more so used to describe its shape of a deep basin with high walls, like a bathtub.

10 Years Have Gone By -– Reminders.

Sometime after the WTC temporary train station was opened, we had an occasion to go to lower Manhattan and took the PATH train. It was set up so that the train came out of the tunnel and an elevated track took us into the ‘Bath Tub’ which had been completely cleaned out. I was totally unprepared for this. We were suddenly here in the middle where so many lost their lives.

Almost all the area TV and Radio signals were broadcast from the Towers. To this day, when I lose the AM signal on certain roads and it reminds me that they are gone. Many places in NJ we could see the Towers. When I drive through those places, I think, “They should be there.” Several of us comment that we still watch planes that seem a little low as they approach the airports and get a little nervous.

There are numerous ongoing reminders, including that Brenda is at a new school and has had several students who lost parents that day.

END OF ORIGINAL ARTICLE written in 2011

= = = = = = = = = = =

All those years ago and yet still very fresh in our memory.

In memory of those who were lost, 
those who went into the building to save others,
those who stayed behind to help coworkers, and
those who have died serving our country in the military.

In honor of those who have lost loved ones and those who have been injured in honorable service— We will not forget.

Golden Corollary

We live in strange times.

In some ways we are so spoiled, entitled.  

The comforts of the modern age with so much available to us immediately 

make us often think along the lines of 

“I shouldn’t have to wait or be inconvenienced“ or “I deserve … “ 

Another part of entitlement that we have all been guilty of at least once or twice:  

When someone else does something outside the rules, 

we want enforcement.  

If I do the same thing, 

I want exemption.

In contrast to that, 
we also can BE TOO HARD on ourselves.  

Some people need to learn ‘to give themselves the same grace that they would give others.  

I call this the ‘Golden Corollary.’  

= = = = = 

I was attending a conference with a friend.  I was driving, we were talking, and I missed a turn, so we had to do just 5-6 minutes of back tracking.  For some reason I found myself mentioning my faux pas a few times at the conference.  At some point I stopped and thought it through.  

“If instead my friend was driving and we made the same mistake, when would I have let it go?  As soon as we found the place to turn around!  Would I have mentioned it at all?  No!  In fact I might not even remember it happened.  Why did I feel like I had to confess a non consequential mistake that no one would care about?  Because I had not learned to give myself the same grace as I give others.”  

= = = = 

If you tend to hold onto guilt or shame, 

Here is a good exercise: 

What if a good friend (sibling, child, etc.) was in a similar situation…  

What would you tell them?  

This is probably fairer, more compassionate, and more balanced than your typical response.  

It is probably much closer in content and tone of voice to 

what our Friend and Savior would say 

than the harsh tone of self-condemnation 

that some people seem to battle.  

And yes for some mistakes, you might tell a friend,

“You really messed up.  You need to apologize and make it right…. “ 

but you would still do it with a tone of love and compassion.  

They would still know that you were for them not against them.

= = =

If you tend to keep thinking about mistakes 

long after others have forgotten them, 

you need to practice the 

‘Golden Corollary—

do unto yourself with the same grace you give to others.’

See Dealing with Mistakes

When God walked this earth there are 3 times we know of that He wept:

1.   John 11:35, with those grieving Lazarus death; 

2.   Luke 19:41, sorrowing over Jerusalem; and  

3.   Hebrews 5:7-9,  the writer is apparently
referring to the Garden experience when Jesus said
“Father, if it is possible, remove this cup from me.”

A recent message was about John 11:35, the shortest verse in the Bible,
“Jesus wept.”
It is apart of the story of Jesus arriving in Bethany shortly after Lazarus’ death.
Mary, Martha, and others were weeping in sorrow.

I am still astounded that Jesus didn’t just say, 
“Stop crying, it’s going to be all good in 20 minutes at the most.”  

That’s how men typically deal with emotions.  We try to fix it, first.  We want everything to be okay and sometimes say, “It’s okay” when it isn’t or “Just calm down.”

If we can’t fix it, we try to explain it often with silly platitudes.  Even a scripture verse can become a platitude— trying to explain something tragic with just a ‘have faith’ or ‘God works all things for good’ type Bible verse.  

And if we can’t explain, we just deny or ignore that someone is upset or that there is a problem.

Back to the story.
Jesus response to the those weeping?
“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping,
he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.”

Jesus inspired Paul’s command, 
         Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep, Romans 12:15.  

Seeing their deep sorrow,
He did not say, “Don’t cry. It will be okay.”
He was deeply affected by their grief and there it is–
“Jesus wept.”

One of the hardest acts of humility is to just be with someone and 
Just Be —
         letting go of thinking about past or future; 
                  not thinking about what you are going to say; 
                           without being impatient; 
                                    not fixing the problem or giving advice;
                                             letting go of your own agenda.

Another factor is that even if we are maturely walking in grace, 
we all carry around at least some unhealthy guilt, shame, fears, and pride.  

Jesus wasn’t burdened with those things and was free to just be.

The deeper we walk in grace, the more we are unencumbered with dysfunctional guilt, shame, pride, and fear the more we are able to stay in the moment and just be with someone.

Another thought
John wrote, 
“For whoever does not love their brother and sister, 
whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen,” 1 John 4:20.
I wonder then—
if we can’t give full attention to our brother or sister and
just be there with them, how can we learn to give God our full attention? 

For Rena, our loved one who is with the Lord,

We believe that “in heaven, God Himself wipes away every tear.  
There is no death, or mourning, or crying, or pain.” (Revelation 21.4)

Time has passed since you went to be in the arms of our Lord and 
 you have no painful memories of this horrific ordeal.
If you have any memory of your injury at all, 
You may remember the kindness of caring doctors and nurses, 
      but not the treatment.
Perhaps you remember the love in our eyes, 
      but not the sorrow and tears.
You may remember your devoted family watching over you,
      but not our pain and fears.

We have regrets— you have none.
We feel cheated— you do not.
We feel crushed— you have been set free in eternity.
We miss you so much— you are perfectly content.
We may have doubts and fears— you are secure your Savior’s arms 
wrapped in our prayers, wrapped in our love.

There is no time, no beginning nor end,
no calendars, nor birthdays, or anniversaries there in Eternity.
But on this side, dates and seasons are reminders of joyous times
and times of loss and grief.

We are glad that you were set free from your mortal shell…
But you are loved and missed … Not more today than other days—
But today the calendar makes us face vividly that you are not with us.

Today, this date, reminds us and 
we are more keenly aware of mixed feelings:
pain and hope, sadness and comfort, grief and gratitude.

So often the moments continue to come when we just wish you were here—
But we hold to God’s assurance that 
One day the Lord, Himself, 
will Reunite us in His Glory.

Doug McCulley, Scotch Plains, New Jersey adapted for March 21, 2023

May 2018. Doug McCulley, doug.newjersey@yahoo.com.
Originally written at the unexpected death of a dear uncle, Ronald Gunlock.

To those who grieve: 

Your hurt is so severe 
because your love for him, and 
his love for you, was dear and deep.

No words can make it better, but it may help to know that 
grief is experienced in waves.  

Grief is like being on a sunny deck of a ship, but then the ship suddenly evaporates, and you are thrown into a cold ocean without warning.  

There is a shock, a disorientation, a disbelief as one tries to grasp the reality of the cold water and the need to come to the surface to breathe.  

Even though you are wearing a floatation device and able to catch your breath for a moment, large waves sweep you under again and again.  Sometimes you are aware of others, who like you, are making every effort to stay at the surface just to find air.  

You try to reach to help them and they to help you— but the waves and currents conspire to have alternating moments of being alone again in the cold and other times holding onto others as they too struggle for air.  

Between the crashing waves of pain you may experience a numbness— a bizarre, calm, quiet emptiness in midst of great emotional turmoil. 

As you all try to help each other back to the safety, 
it becomes a process of enduring the waves– waves that sometimes catch you off guard, other times you see them coming.  

Sometimes the waves push you toward solid ground, other times it feels as if you are as far away as you were in the beginning.  

Grief comes in waves.  Even if you are aware that the ship is going to sink, and believe you are prepared for what is about to happen, once you are thrown into the water, you are in a battle with the waves of grief.

And there will be a day that you will begin with a few hours NOT thinking of your loss, but then the wave will come, and you may even feel guilty for briefly feeling somewhat normal.  

There will be moments of “I need to be sure to tell him this or that” then realizing he is beyond our words.  Later that will become a frustrated, “O, how I wish he were here to see or hear this.”

The pain will lessen. It will become more like an ache— a strange mixture of emptiness, sadness, gratitude, and joyous confidence.  However, even then, be warned that there will be unexpected waves of oppressive grief that may last a few seconds— or all day.

We take some comfort in all our memories, 
       the lives he touched, 
              the people he encouraged— 

However,
       Our assurance, our hope, our foundation
              is that he is waiting 
                      in the glorious presence of God Himself.  

All of mankind’s greatest thoughts and conceptions of all time, all added together would not fill a second of God’s eternity. 

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, 
and no mind has imagined what God has prepared 
for those who love Him.

May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself 
and God our Father, 
who has loved us and given us 
eternal comfort and good hope by grace, 
comfort and strengthen your hearts.

– 2 Corinthians 2⁹  & 2 Thessalonians 5^{16 & 17}

To our loved one who is with the Lord

We believe that “in heaven, God Himself wipes away every tear. 
There is no death, or mourning, or crying, or pain.” (Revelation 21.4)

Time has passed since you went to be in the arms of our Lord and
you have no painful memories of this horrific ordeal.
If you have any memory of your illness at all,
You may remember the kindness of caring doctors and nurses,
but not the treatment.
Perhaps you remember the love in our eyes,
but not the sorrow and tears.
You may remember your devoted family watching over you,
but not our pain and fears.

We have regrets— you have none.
We feel cheated— you do not.
We feel crushed— you have been set free in eternity.
We miss you so much— you are perfectly content.
We may have doubts and fears— you are secure your Savior’s arms
wrapped in our prayers, wrapped in our love.

There is no time, no beginning nor end,
no calendars, nor birthdays, or anniversaries there in Eternity.
But on this side, dates and seasons are reminders of joyous times
and times of loss and grief.

We are glad that you were set free from your mortal shell…
But you are loved and missed … Not more today than other days—
But today the calendar makes us face vividly that you are not with us.

We are more keenly aware of mixed feelings:
pain and hope, sadness and comfort, grief and gratitude.
In truth, the date of your death, is now your birthday—
Your first day in Eternity.

So often the moments continue to come when we just wish you were here—
But we hold to God’s assurance that
One day the Lord, Himself,
will Reunite us in His Glory.

Are You Drawn or Driven?

Consider this question:

What motivates you— Are you drawn or driven?

In general driven-ness in certain short-term situations is necessary (driven to meet a deadline or correct a problem) but as a lifestyle if someone is driven it a negative.
If someone is driven to succeed, he will end up using people.  If one is driven by pain, selfish passion, guilt, revenge, fear, hate, shame, etc. then life becomes toxic.

In contrast consider being drawn to something.

Some have pointed out that humanity is so often drawn to 3 qualities:
truth, beauty, and goodness.
Humanity at its best is when we are drawn by these qualities.

Being drawn to something good is a life of adventure.

And it is not by accident that Jesus said,
         “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself…”

This and other I AM statements of Jesus indicate things that draw us, invite us to Him

    I AM the Bread of Life (John 6:35, 6:41, 6:48)

    I AM the light of the world. (John 8:12, John 9:5)

    I am the gate for the sheep. (John 10:7,9)

I am the good shepherd. (John 10:11,14)

    I am the resurrection and the life. John 11:25

You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 13:13

    I am the way and the truth and the life 14:6

    I am the true vine 15:1 15:5

The enemy uses drives to get us off balance, tempt us with the wrong things.  He uses fear, guilt and shame to drive us.  He entices us with temptations to drive us— “You must, you have to, you’re missing out…”  etc.
Humanity is at its worse when it is driven by hatred, fear, greed, power, jealousy, pride, revenge, etc.

The Philippians 4:8 Principle

Are you living your life being drawn to
“whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable?”
Remember:
“If anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

 

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Questions for Reflection, Application & Discussion

Share a recent example of being drawn to something good, beautiful or honest.

Repeating: “In general driven-ness in certain short-term situations is necessary (driven to meet a deadline or correct a problem) but as a lifestyle if someone is driven it a negative.”

What do you notice about yourself when you become driven because of a problem or deadline?

What were we made for?
To know God.

What should our life’s goal be?
To know God.

What is the eternal life that Jesus gives?
Knowing God.

What allows man to be fully human?
Knowing God.

This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.  — Jesus, John 17:3

But whatever things were gain to me, those things
I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of
the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
—Apostle Paul, Philippians 3:7-8

The Privilege Of Knowing God

It is a tragedy that many people go through life without ever becoming acquainted with their Creator. To overlook that relationship is to miss the purpose for our existence and the greatest privilege available: knowing God. Even Christians can undervalue the honor of getting to know Christ more intimately.

Paul’s all-consuming passion to know God caused him to count everything else as worthless in comparison to that tremendous blessing. Though believers can accept Christ as their Savior, faithfully serve Him, and anticipate being with Him in heaven, many have no hunger to know Him right now. How can we be satisfied with simply being saved and have so little interest in the most gratifying relationship available to us? Pursuing Christ with passion requires sacrifice—spending time with the Lord, surrendering our will, and knowing Him through suffering. Although salvation is a free gift and the rewards are invaluable and eternal, intimacy with God is a costly process.

Our culture floods us with distractions that can fill our minds and hearts, leaving us indifferent about developing a deeper relationship with Christ. Some people even substitute learning facts about the Lord for knowing Him relationally.

Find what is hindering your passion for God. Consider ways to carve out time each day to be alone with Him. As you go about your routine, seek His guidance and listen for His voice. You, too, will eventually count everything else as rubbish compared to knowing Christ.

Quotes from J.I. Packer, author of Knowing God

Whatever else in the Bible catches your eye, do not let it distract you from Him.

Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life’s problems fall into place of their own accord.

The healthy Christian is not necessarily the extrovert, ebullient Christian, but the Christian who has a sense of God’s presence stamped deep on his soul, who trembles at God’s word, who lets it dwell in him richly by constant meditation upon it, and who tests and reforms his life daily in response to it.

Confidence that one’s impressions are God-given is no guarantee that this is really so, even when they persist and grow stronger through long seasons of prayer. Bible-based wisdom must judge them.

How can we turn our knowledge about God into knowledge of God? The rule for doing this is simple but demanding. It is that we turn each Truth that we learn about God into matter for meditation before God, leading to prayer and praise to God.

The Life of true holiness is rooted in the soil of awed adoration.

He that has learned to feel his sins, and to trust Christ as a Saviour, has learned the two hardest and greatest lessons in Christianity.

Jesus defines eternal life as knowing God (John 17:3).
What are the ways? In how many different ways can we know God, and thus know eternal life?
Here are some thoughts.

1. The final, complete, definitive way, of course, is Christ, God Himself in human flesh.
2. His church is His body, so we know God also through the church fellowship, instruction, worship, etc.
3. The Scriptures are the inspired record of God’s revelation.
4. The Spirit of God is His active presence here on earth.
5. Scripture also says we can know God in nature see Romans 1. This is an innate, spontaneous, natural knowledge. I think no one who lives by the sea, or by a little river, can be an atheist.
6. Art (beauty) also reveals God.
7. Conscience, trained properly is the voice of God.
   {5-7 are natural. 1-4 are supernatural. 5-7 reveal three attributes of God,
   3 things the human spirit seems to be drawn to: truth, beauty, and goodness.
   God has filled His creation with these three things.]
   Here are six more ways in which we can and do know God.
8. By Reason— reflecting on nature, art, or conscience, one can come to know some things about the nature of God.
9. Experience, life, your story, can also reveal God. You can see the hand of Providence there.
10. The collective experience expressed in literature, also reveals God. You can know God through others’ stories, through great literature.
11. Mature believers reveal God. They are advertisements, mirrors, ‘imitators of Christ’.
12. Our ordinary daily experience of doing God’s will will reveal God. God becomes clearer to see when the eye of the heart is purified: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.”
13. Prayer meets God—ordinary prayer. You learn more of God from honest confession of one’s concerns, failures, thoughts, etc.

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Questions for Reflection, Application & Discussion

How often each day are you intentionally thinking about knowing God?

Which of the Scriptures or Quotes from J.I. Packer jumped out at you? why?

Are there any of the 13 Thoughts about how God may reveal Himself that may be especially helpful for you this week?

Paul wrote “For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him.” (Colossians 1:19 NIV) and (although there is some debate but most scholars identify Paul as the writer of Hebrews) “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things, and through Whom also He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.” (Hebrews 1:1-3 NIV).

We come to know God essentially and most clearly by knowing the Son!  Reading the gospels must always be primarily about how one can understand and get to know Jesus better.