CVV Ministries

What is God like? It sounds like the question of a six year old—honest; direct; no nuance. Simple as it sounds, it’s actually one of the most important questions in human his

Singing Our Song (May 17, 2024)

No one really wants to sing the blues. We only want to hear other people singing the blues. It’s hard to believe that a homeless, hungry, abandoned soul would choose to write a s

Rags To Riches (May 10, 2024)

We love our sugary success stories—the sweet and gripping fantasies we hope might someday happen to us. “Mailroom clerk becomes company CEO.” “Out of luck waitress wins hug

Nowhere Else (May 03, 2024)

An old gospel hymn plaintively asks the question in the last line of each verse: “Where could I go but to the Lord?” The hymnwriter noted the deep challenges of everyday life i

Better News (April 26, 2024)

“That’s old news.” In an information obsessed world, that may be the ultimate put down. Round the clock—and endlessly repetitive—reporting crackles from hundreds of cable

The Greatest Mystery (April 19, 2024)

A mother’s deep affection for her newborn child is completely understandable. The nine months they’ve spent journeying together—and a surge of maternal hormones—create an i

Another Kind Of Prodigal (April 12, 2024)

What kind of person gets angry when a wretched, broken sinner is restored by the grace of God? Are there really people that selfish? The answer, according to Jesus, is sadly “Yes

Unmerited (April 05, 2024)

It’s usually said with a cynical smile and an eye roll: “My good deed did not go unpunished.” And it nicely sums up the exasperation we feel when life doesn’t seem fair, wh

Morning Has Broken (March 29, 2024)

These hours between midnight and dawn test the patience of the world. We stumble through the hallways of dark houses. We seek companionship in all night TV channels and books that

Always Amazing (March 22, 2024)

Fast forward, if you can, to scenes our hearts are aching to be in. Redeemed at last from all the brokenness, the pettiness, the pain of earthly life, we stand before the throne wi

Never Walk Alone (March 15, 2024)

It’s a pandemic for the ages. Even though we’re more “connected” than ever, a tidal wave of loneliness has washed around the world. Eight billion cell phones aren’t e

All Are Gifted (March 08, 2024)

We are wary for good reasons. We’ve had too much of hurt, of wounds, of promises that didn’t deliver. Nothing “too good to be true” should ever be believed. But grace pre

Beyond Belief (March 01, 2024)

It takes a lot to surprise the authors of the Bible. In the pages of Scripture, we find unflinchingly honest stories about every kind of failing—adultery, murder, cruelty, abus

Does God Hear Me? (February 23, 2024)

When warm light floods the living room and laughter visits along with friends, we bless the grace of God for making all our good days better. But when the rain slants heavily

And There Was Hope (February 16, 2024)

A century ago, the poet wept: “Things fall apart. The centre cannot hold.” And after greater blood and anarchy, who dares to argue with him? Pollyannas need not apply.

He Always Was Humble And Kind (February 09, 2024)

Name any virtue dear to you, and there’s one grace behind it. Even the Bible’s best known virtues— “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness

Rehearsing The Gospel (February 02, 2024)

When we were children, practicing was frequently the bane of our existence. Endless loops of cursive handwriting; sticky valves on rented clarinets; stubborn keyboard ivories that

The Honest Truth (January 26, 2024)

When all our boasts are at an end; when no one’s left we might impress; when all our tales of make believe have not made anyone believe—we stare into the mirror that reveals ou

The Song Of The Redeemed (January 19, 2024)

I sing the solo grace “that saved a wretch like me,”—and so I should. Without it, I would be forever lost and never found. But grace is more than what God does for me, though

Unwearied Love (January 12, 2024)

The finest things that we can say are sometimes framed as negatives. Here’s one: “Love never gives up, never loses faith” (1 Cor 13:8). That’s why we celebrate what the Bib

A Covenant For Wanderers (January 05, 2024)

Make covenants, not resolutions, as you walk into the year, for covenants give us company in keeping what we pledge. A resolution with no witness is too often just a wish, a good i

Grace To Forget (December 29,2023)

Each year, as New Year’s Day arrives, believers wrestle quietly with one of the Apostle Paul’s most puzzling assertions: “One thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and stra

Infant Lowly (December 22, 2023)

It’s the most frequently portrayed scene in all of human history. Four year olds sketch out the wise men, sheep, and cattle. Sculptors craft three human figures beneath a

The Night Will Be Light (December 15, 2023)

Our fascination with the stars is as old as . . . one gorgeous night in Eden. As darkness first descended on God’s rich, untrammeled world, there was no fear, no threat, no shyin

Never Was A War (December 08, 2023)

It’s a tough time to be selling “Peace on Earth.” In the Christmas Shoppe at the megastore, elves and reindeer move briskly out the door. Nativity scenes in warm pastels are

Watching Over Us (December 01, 2023)

It’s a story filled with angels, and so a story filled with grace. An angel reveals to an aged priest that his wife will bear a son named John. The angel Gabriel announces to a v

Full Of Grace And Truth (November 24, 2023)

“If you would tell me, tell me true,” a wise old man once said. “There isn’t time enough for lies.” And when we’ve polished all our trophies, and sung again our victory

All Are Gifted (November 17, 2023)

We are wary for good reasons. We’ve had too much of hurt, of wounds, of promises that didn’t deliver. Nothing “too good to be true” should ever be believed. But grace pre

Beyond Biology (November 10,2023)

Where does kindness come from? Nothing in the narrative of evolutionary biology can tell us why one human would act with compassion or thoughtfulness toward another. In a world whe

Peace Amid The Chaos (November 03, 2023)

How do you find a quiet heart? You won’t find it in a deep evergreen forest, though walking in the fragrant woods may give you time to think. You won’t find it beside a thunder

Grace Has A Face (October 27, 2023)

I bless them all—the friends who didn’t back away when I said clumsy, foolish things, or added insult to an injury. I bless the ones who held me in the grip of grace before I h

Unexpected (October 20, 2023)

“I don’t deserve this.” It’s a sentiment uttered—muttered—millions of times a day around the world. Our deep, unyielding sense of justice is aroused each time we aren

Saying What’s True (October 13, 2023)

More than 50 years ago, a wildly popular book and movie gave us a proverb worth forgetting: “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Despite its commercial success, the

Better Than Platinum (October 06, 2023)

So, what’s the most valuable commodity in the world? If you picked silver, gold, or platinum, 10,000 brokers might seek your business. If you chose palladium or rhodium, you kn

The Only Hero Story (September 29, 2023)

When we tell our peers the stories of our lives, how do we shape the narratives? Do we tell tales of high achievement, dogged persistence, and clever strategy? Are we the heroes of

According To Our Need (September 22, 2023)

If there’s one thing that heaven hates, why surely, it must be—adultery? Pride? Hypocrisy? Murder? Greed? Would you believe “unforgiveness”? Consistent with the grace

Gifted And Graced (September 15, 2023)

“Lucky you!” we mumble when our rival’s putt drops in the cup from 50 feet away. “Wish I was you,” we grumble when our colleague lands the big promotion and the corner of

Better Than We Dreamed (September 08, 2023)

Any faith worth putting at the center of your life must do at least three things. It must accurately describe the dark reality of our brokenness and pain. It must fully tell how we

Freely Received And Gladly Given (September 01. 2023)

Until we grasp how much we’ve been forgiven, it will always seem unwise and difficult to forgive those who sin against us. When we forgive another person, we abandon our levera

New And Better Stories (August 25, 2023)

Imagine—only for a moment—your life without the grace of God. Every foolish act of adolescence; every spiteful, angry word you’ve said; every broken relationship would trai

When There’s No Fix (August 18, 2023)

A husband slipping in the door with a bouquet of red roses trailing behind him. A six year old artfully arranging the remaining cookies in the jar to make it seem none have been ta

Nothing To Offer (August 11, 2023)

Taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Giving money to a homeless man at the corner. Choosing fruit instead of ice cream for dessert. All good things—but none will change

Wordwise (August 04, 2023)