“Don’t judge a man by where he is, because you don’t know how far he has come.” – C. S. Lewis The older I become, the more I realize that I started the game of life on third base but assumed for years I had hit a triple. I was… Continue reading
In part two of this series, I presented Jesus’ understanding of God’s love as unconditional, indiscriminate, self-giving, nonviolent, and everlasting as foundational to his message and ministry. I also suggested that such love is at the heart of the wisdom we need if we are to progress in ways which… Continue reading
Jesus was the most radical, countercultural person in the history of humankind. Unfortunately, that’s not the way the world and much of the church view him. Too many times Christians have done their best to domesticate him or (in the words of one of my New Testament professors) to put… Continue reading
Long ago, I stopped attending Good Friday services for one reason: the pervading assumption of penal substitutionary atonement (psa) in those services. On my blog I have gone into detail as to why I reject this theory of atonement. It’s not biblical, did not exist in its present form until… Continue reading
Thomas Erskine (1788-1870) and George MacDonald (1823-1905) were two Scottish theologians whose forgotten legacy is one of the tragedies of Western Christianity. Erskine was a Scottish lord and lay theologian. MacDonald was a Scottish Protestant minister and fantasy novelist. Erskine influenced MacDonald, and MacDonald influenced C. S. Lewis and J…. Continue reading
Perhaps one of the most difficult fruits of the Spirit for me to receive is patience. Like most people I am perhaps most impatient with myself. I expect too much of my life, my vocation, and my development. My compromised discipleship, my petty concerns, my hesitancy to have my day’s… Continue reading
Intro: What is salvation and how does it occur? Western Christianity, especially within Fundamentalist and conservative Evangelical circles, emphasizes what we are saved from (which is eternal torment in hell). Eastern Christianity, when it is at its best, focuses on what we are saved for (which is eternal transformation into… Continue reading
(24 minutes) What Jesus meant by “the Kingdom of God” is often misunderstood by those in and outside the church. By “entering the Kingdom of God,” he did not mean going to heaven when we die. Part of that misunderstanding is based on Matthew’s preference for the phrase “Kingdom of… Continue reading
(13 minutes) In part one of “The Eye of a Needle,” we acknowledged the addictive danger of wealth in Jesus’ teachings. We also recognized that his warning about the love and pursuit of money can be found in several parables and various teachings. He even saw wealth as the chief… Continue reading
Imagine what it would be like if a congregation prayed with everyone’s head raised and eyes open seeing, not just looking but actually seeing, each other through the lens of wondrous love. Continue reading
