Are there times when you do not know how or what to pray? Times when the fear and uncertainty of your life knock the breath out of you so that words simply cannot come? Times when the complexity of existence leaves your head spinning and your stomach churning and you… Continue reading
(This short article is intended for five groups: Christians who are prone to limit God’s grace to those who believe exactly as they do; Christians whose predominant images of God are punitive and judgmental in nature; Christians who are confused regarding the nature of grace; non-Christians who mistakenly assume the… Continue reading
After four years of a national nightmare, at noon on January 20, 2021, most of the United States (as well as most of the world) can breathe a collective sigh of relief. We can look forward to our eyes, ears, hearts, and very souls no longer being assaulted on a daily, if not hourly basis, by a constant barrage of lies. Continue reading
New Years is traditionally seen as a time for resolutions, new beginnings, and reevaluation. In short, it can be a time for orientation, and Deuteronomy is a book well suited for honing our orientation in life. To appreciate this important part of the Jewish tradition, we must recognize its proposed… Continue reading
I love my country, but I love people more. I love my country, but I love the world more. I love my country, but I love the God revealed in Jesus Christ more. I have never understood how those professing a faith in Jesus constrict their love to national borders… Continue reading
Evil will not have the last word. There is no place in the New Heaven and the New Earth for those whose lives are defined by greed, violence, and idolatry. But God’s judgment is not for the purpose of punishing forever. God’s judgment is designed to set things right and to bring reconciliation and healing. Continue reading
Throughout history most humans have been well acquainted with death. War, famine, disease, oppression, and the harsh realities of daily living forced our ancestors to stare death in the face more often than we 21st century North Americans can imagine. We sometimes are puzzled as to why those generations before… Continue reading
Occasionally I am asked by people from various walks of life, “Do you believe in God?” This question is often asked by those who have been seriously wounded by sick versions of religion which require belief in a wrathful, rigid, unforgiving, demanding, all-determining God. My answer is always the same:… Continue reading
I love chocolate cake with thick milk chocolate icing. I love my wife, daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons. I love movies and certain types of music. I love the magnificent beauty and grandeur of nature. I love a good novel. I love my friends. I love God. I love Bluebell Banana… Continue reading
In recent years, politicians have been criticized for offering their “thoughts and prayers” to the victims of gun violence. I would assume these politicians hope to mollify their constituents with these lame offerings. By such manipulative and hypocritical strategies, they hope they can get by without having to actually do… Continue reading
