In my last post I listed a number of ways that some followers of Christ are trying to do church differently than their parents’ generation. But the pendulum of change often swings from one extreme to another and reactions can result in over-correction. For that reason, and because we’ve already acknowledged some of the problems that […]
According to an often repeated story, legendary football coach, Vince Lombardi, once expressed his frustration by stopping practice and saying to his Green Bay Packer professionals something like, “Let’s start at the beginning. This is a football. These are the yard markers. I’m the coach. You are the players.” (Although I haven’t been able to […]
One of the most memorable church services I ever attended was a communion service preceded by a message on a controversial war. A young pastor began by honoring those members of the congregation who had family members or friends serving in our country’s military. Then he paid an equal tribute to those within the church […]
Sometimes I wonder whether I’m half asleep even when I think I’m wide awake. I say that while reflecting on some words of the New Testament that seem dangerously extreme– and radically sensible. In his first letter to the Corinthians, and in anticipation of an unnamed impending crisis, the Apostle Paul wrote, “The time is […]
Because of the problem of pain and evil that raises disturbing questions about the God of the Bible, I thought it might be a good time to talk about “The Shack”. Finally read the 248 page paperback that so many are talking about. In the meantime I’ve been seeing reviews that go from likening it […]
In many regions of the world “ministers” are public servants. Their civil “ministry” is to act in behalf of a government department that operates from a building that in turn is referred to as “the Ministry”. Kurdistan has a Ministry of Justice. India has a Ministry of Environment and Forests. Thailand has a Ministry of […]
Went with my son and daughter-in-law to a practice round of the PGA Championship that finishes up this weekend in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. I think what impressed me the most was seeing how far these players hit the ball. While watching them on television give a sense of the amazing touch they show from sand […]
In this Olympic and election year, I’ve been thinking again about the way competition surfaces in every area of our lives. It shows up not only in sports, but in education, business, and science. Media networks compete for ratings, religious groups for our minds and hearts, politicians for our votes, and companies for our money. […]
While in Asia recently I saw examples of eastern religion that were foreign to faith in Christ. My heart went out to mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters who have not yet discovered the incomparable and unparalleled life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Thinking back, however, I also remember how, on another trip to the region, […]
If I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that God does not guarantee us a 1 + 1= ___ for the kind of outcomes we can see, physically– on our own time schedule. No matter how great our faith, even the best of material gains or human relationships will disappoint us in life– and leave […]
