Spent time over the weekend with two books that looked at the spirit of masculinity and femininity in the church from two different perspectives. One of these books, written by Denise George, is titled What Women Wish Pastors knew and is subtitled “Understanding the Hopes, Hurts, Needs, and Dreams of Women in the Church. The […]
I’ve been sitting here for the last hour or so, sipping on a strong cup of coffee, reading… and thinking about the thoughts and stories posted here over the last couple of days–by friends. Most of us have never met each other face to face. Yet here, in thoughts typed thousands of miles apart, we […]
Millions of television viewers around the world have watched a dog trainer by the name of Cesar Millan. Also known as the “dog whisperer,” Millan has the ability not only to rehabilitate troubled dogs, but to do so with a calmness that often amazes the animal’s owner. Whether a dog is overly aggressive, excitable, or […]
What do sports tell us about ourselves? Would we be as interested if the games we play ended without a winner, or without records of comparative accomplishment? There must be something about everything from board and card games to individual and team sports that awakens something in us that was created by God. But what […]
In my last post I asked whether it is possible to abuse power, strength, and freedom—but not authority. The question sounds ridiculous to those who know the misuse of power and authority when they see it. Yet, as our discussion showed, many of us know people who think they have the right to push others […]
Can the authority God gives be misused? The question may seem, at best, like a no-brainer. How else can we explain corruption of power or the evil things people do in the name of God? But I’m increasingly convinced that it’s important to carefully weigh the difference between God-given authority, strength, power, and freedom. Here […]
While working through the jetlag of our return from an Israel production trip, I’ve had a chance to visit some of the 1700 artist exhibits that are being shown at over 190 different sites in the second annual Grand Rapids, ArtPrize event. It’s turning out be a gathering place for our community and a way […]
Yesterday was a day of Jewish celebration called Simchat Torah. During the day in the Jewish Quarter, and then after sundown at the Western Wall, we saw groups of Orthodox men enthusiastically dancing and singing around elaborate encased Torah scrolls. They were celebrating the end of their annual Torah readings and the beginning of a […]
In some circles, those who believe they have heard God speak to them are thought to be unstable. Other groups honor members who routinely quote what God has said to their hearts. Since so many of us think the practice has implications for either our sanity or spirituality, it might be worth thinking together about […]
Today is the last day of the Jewish cycle of Fall Holidays (Holy Days). Tonight ends the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) in which Jewish people erect small shelters to remember how they lived off of the provisions of God during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. Yesterday, in a modern expression of this […]
