Tag Archives: Ephesians 5

Conjunction Junction

July 1, 2025 Tom Vander Well Leave a comment

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light…”
Ephesians 5:8 (NIV)

My generation grew up living for Saturday mornings. For most children, we had only three major broadcast channels on television. Saturday mornings were when all three networks packed in their children’s programming. Every Saturday morning found me in my bean bag chair, on the shag carpeting, ready to binge cartoons for four hours.

It was during those years that ABC had a series of legendary educational music videos generally known as Schoolhouse Rock. The music videos taught basics in math, grammar, history, and civics with catchy, ear-worm tunes. I can still sing many of them. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago during breakfast I annoyed Wendy with my rendition of the preamble to the Declaration of Independence a la Schoolhouse Rock.

The best Schoolhouse Rock song was, however, Conjunction Junction, in which a train conductor taught us the grammar of conjunctions which are always “hookin’ up words phrases and clauses.” The conductor taught me that “and,” “but,” and “or” will get you pretty far.

Conjunction Junction came to mind this morning as I read the chapter, especially in continuation of yesterday’s chapter. The Apostle Paul spends a lot of time at Conjunction Junction, not just in today’s chapter, but in all of his letters. If you pay attention, you discover that he loved to contrast the old with the new, the. light with the darkness, and a life lived in the Spirit, following Jesus into God’s eternal Kingdom, with a life lived in the flesh, following the world to nowhere but the end of the earthly line.

Here are examples from today’s chapter:

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light…”
“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”
“Be careful how you live, not as unwise, but as wise.”
“Do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
“Do not get drunk on wine…[but] be filled with the Spirit…“

The message from Paul’s perpetual crossing at Conjunction Junction is simple, yet profound. Being an obedient disciple of Jesus will increasingly create spiritual, mental, relational, and behavioral contrasts to those who simply and mindlessly follow fallen human nature and its worldly appetites. To say “I believe in Jesus” yet otherwise remain on the track to nowhere but the end of the earthly line means I missed the spiritual junction where life’s railroad track to Dark Valley switches to the line leading up to Sonrise Mountain.

So, in the quiet this morning, I find myself pondering the implied question Paul is asking from Conjunction Junction. As I look at the landscape of my own life, which line am I on, and where is it leading?

One of the things I love about Jesus’ Message is that it’s never too late to make the switch.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

These chapter-a-day blog posts are also available via podcast on all major podcast platforms including Apple, Google, and Spotify! Simply go to your podcast platform and search for “Wayfarer Tom Vander Well.” If it’s not on your platform, please let me know!

Chapter-a-Day

Profound Simplicity

November 26, 2024 Tom Vander Well 2 Comments

Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
Ephesians 5:4 (NIV)

I have a reminder set for later this morning to get the turkey out of the freezer so it can thaw before Thanksgiving Day on Thursday. A few weeks ago, Wendy and I weren’t sure what we were doing for Thanksgiving this year. We’d talked about a small, quiet affair with a couple of other family members. That suddenly swelled to a total of fourteen who will be gathering at our house for the feast. We are grateful for the opportunity to host members of both our families. It’s going to be wonderful day of love and feasting.

Thanksgiving was, no doubt, on my heart and mind in the quiet this morning as I read today’s chapter. Paul provides for the disciples of Jesus in Ephesus stark contrasts between how those in the world live and how disciples of Jesus should conduct themselves in life and relationships. Among the contrasts he provides is the difference between the “obscene,” “foolish,” and “coarse” conversations and “thanksgiving.” I found it interesting that the Greek word translated “thanksgiving” is eucharistia which is the root of the word eucharist that many followers of Jesus use to name the bread and cup of the sacrament of Communion.

In yesterday’s post/podcast I talked about how I invest my budget of words daily. Paul is, quite obviously, continuing this theme and providing contrasting examples. If I was “mic’d up” like players and coaches in the NFL and then all of my words for a day were run through AI to summarize and describe all of things I’d spoken yesterday, what would the result be? What adjectives would describe the flow of words that came out of my mouth? “Foolish,” “empty,” “coarse,” “obscene,” “negative,” “critical,” “mean,” “gossip?” Would the adjectives “grateful,” “gracious,” “kind,” or “encouraging” even make it on the list?

As I meditate on these things in the quiet this morning, my mind conjured up another contrast. This chapter-a-day journey just finished slogging through the 48 chapters of Ezekiel. To be honest, it’s a tough trek in which finding daily spiritual nuggets requires study, history, context, and deeper than average meditation. This quick trek through Ephesians has been almost a mental shock for me by contrast. An entire post could spring from almost every sentence Paul writes, and the truths he addresses are often profound in their simplicity.

Profound in its simplicity is what I’m taking from the chapters this week. Consider my words. Invest them wisely. Use them well. And there is perhaps no more worthy and useful purpose for my words than to express thanks to God and to others for all that they mean to me. And, dear reader, that includes you. I’m thankful for your companionship on this chapter-a-day journey – even you quiet lurkers out there I don’t even know. I’m going to begin Thanksgiving early this year, by practicing words of gratitude and thanksgiving today and tomorrow. You’re welcome to join me.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

Chapter-a-Day

The Way of Love

May 7, 2019 Tom Vander Well 2 Comments

…walk in the way of love…
Ephesians 5:2 (NIV)

This past weekend was Pella’s annual Tulip Time festival. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, Wendy and I spent the weekend volunteering as did most everyone else we know. Our town was packed with thousands of tourists and visitors, and that always brings out all sorts of interesting people and groups. There were news crews from all over, a crew shooting a movie, a counterfeiter trying to pass fake twenties to various street vendors, and street preachers screaming hellfire and brimstone through their little powered speakers.

I was at a meeting last night with several of my fellow Jesus followers from here in town. I found it interesting that no mention was made of the news crews, the movie crew shooting in the crowd, or the man arrested for counterfeiting. It was the street preachers that inspired conversation.

As I listened to people share, I found that others experienced the same frustration I did as I passed by and heard the street preacher’s rhetoric. They were preaching condemnation and judgement. It was all fear and accusation. Someone from my group shared that they had attempted to engage the preacher and ask about his approach. “Everyone knows about Jesus’ love,” he was reported to have replied. “What they don’t know is the fear of judgement.”

Along my life journey I have found just the opposite to be true. While there are exceptions to every general rule, I’ve observed that most people judge and condemn themselves, or else they have acutely experienced the judgement and condemnation of others. Often, they are judged and condemned by individuals who are supposed to love them the most, such as a parent, a sibling, or a close relative.

I’ve also observed that most people don’t know really know and experience Jesus’ love in its gracious, unconditional form. I believe a large number of Jesus’ followers walk the way of religious, transactional merit. Good behavior is rewarded with blessing and bad behavior exacts a curse, and they’re just hoping the scales tip the right way in the end.

Last night’s conversation ended with a story from a friend who shared that they had heard personally of a suicidal adult who was quite literally at the point of deciding one day that instead of ending it all they would visit Tulip Time. That day a sweet, smiling young child in a dutch costume walked up and gave them a tulip. That simple act of kindness set this person on the path of life change (i.e. repentance) which led to the way of love, redemption, and restoration.

As I read this morning’s chapter it struck me that Paul did not say we should walk this life journey on the way of holiness, the way of purity, the way of religion, the way of judgment, the way of condemnation, or the way of fear. To be sure, things like holiness, purity, and obedience are good things asked of all Jesus’ followers. However, Paul reminded the believers in Corinth that it is the activating ingredient of love that makes any of those things worthwhile. Without the activating ingredient of love, those things become spiritually worthless.

I’m also reminded this morning of another thing Paul wrote to the believers in Rome, that it is “kindness that leads to repentance.” The hellfire and brimstone street preachers must have missed that part.

I’m glad to know that a little child in a Dutch costume got it right.

Chapter-a-Day

Learning to Please

April 24, 2014 Tom Vander Well Leave a comment

Celebrating Wendy's Birthday with the VLs at the Lyric Opera — Celebrating Wendy’s Birthday with the VLs at the Lyric Opera

…and find out what pleases the Lord. Ephesians 5:10 (NIV)

In many ways, Wendy and I are the epitome of the adage “opposites attract.” Several months ago, prompted by Taylor, our entire family took the Enneagram personality test on-line. Since that time we’ve often found ourselves in family conversations about how we are alike and how we are different. According to the test (and validated by loved ones) I am a #4 (Individualist) and Wendy is a #8 (Challenger).

While visiting a few weeks ago Taylor mentioned that someone had told her that 4s and 8s “should never get married” to which Taylor laughed thinking of Wendy and me. The truth is, there are challenges with almost any mixture of people and personality types. Part of being married is learning where there are gaps of communication, expectation and choosing to meet the other where they are at.

The first year of marriage, I made the mistake of being thought-less and inconsiderate about Wendy’s birthday. In my family, birthdays are never a big deal – but I’ve learned with my wife and with my friends that others view birthdays as a much bigger deal than I do. I’ve had to regularly retrain my thinking to realize how important it is for others in my life. I’ve learned that it pleases Wendy when I’m prepared for the birthday-Christmas-wedding anniversary trifecta that descends on us every December 21-31.

I was struck this morning by the little verse (above) that’s crammed into a chapter filled with meaty teaching about life and relationships. Having been reminded of my need to be more considerate of what pleases other key relationships in my life, I am now reminded to apply the same principle to God. How often am I thoughtless and inconsiderate of what pleases God? If I am motivated to change my thought patterns and behaviors in a way that shows love in a way pleasing to my wife and friends, wouldn’t I also be willing to learn what pleases my Creator?