Have been trying to decide what to think about a recent news story that a well known and respected pastor is predicting that a catastrophic, imminent event will devastate American and global cities. Says he doesn’t know where or when. But feels compelled to warn. Another article described the soon collapse of the evangelical movement […]
Today is the second and last day of the Jewish festival of Purim 2009. This is a fun holiday in Israel with costumes, noise-makers, face-paint and parades. But behind the laughter and foolishness lies a serious story of national survival. Behind Purim is the account of how God used a young Jewish woman by the […]
Whether the issue is stem cell research, health care, or the economy, my hunch is that more than a few of us are getting our own talking points by listening to those who make a living attacking rather than listening to, or trying to find common ground with, their political opponents. Is it possible that […]
If we read the Apostle Paul as a black and white thinker who wrote rule-filled letters to followers of Christ, we may be forgetting that his pre-occupation with rule keeping was a thing of the past (Philip 3:3-14). Listen, for instance, to what he wrote to the Corinthians, “The time is short, so that from […]
After the last post on “Feeling Down” I discovered that the March issue of Christianity Today magazine has a cover story called, “The Depression Epidemic.” I already had the issue but hadn’t read it yet and assumed it was something about the economy. Turns out that this issue of CT has several articles about a […]
What do we do when we’re out of sorts, on edge, not ourselves, dogged by a dark cloud of sadness, and then, on top of it all, feeling guilty for not being able to think or pray ourselves out of it? Spiritual talk that is supposed to help leaves us cold. So, with a bit […]
Sports teams watch game films to go to school on what went right and wrong in their last outing. Got me wondering what we might see if we did a video evaluation of our last family, church, or work conflict… Am guessing one thing that would be missing would be visible evidence of a too […]
Someone has said, “Wise are those who look at others with the same generosity they offer themselves, and at themselves with the same critical eye they have for others.” Such advice is difficult to disagree with because it amounts to treating others the way we’d want to be treated. The “golden rule” is hard to […]
In a recent conversation one of our friends made a comment that I haven’t been able to forget. It was something to the effect that “You probably would all think I’m a creep. Have been married several times…” My guess is that along the way others have also made self-disclosing comments that have gotten lost […]
As a follow-up to our discussion about interpreting and applying the Bible to a changing world, let’s look at the way the church has re-focused its view of the Bible and slavery. Looking back, we now see the inhumane and horrendous nature of the abduction-and-racially-based slave trade supported by many church members for a significant […]
