I have always had sympathy for Thomas, perhaps because there is a doubting, skeptical side to me. There are those who confuse faith with gullibility. We Thomases of this world will not likely make that error. We err on the other side. We want to see, know, and feel the… Continue reading
Maundy Thursday is observed in many churches in the form of a modified Passover meal which includes the Lord’s Supper/Communion. The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin term mandatum which means “commandment.” (Our word “mandate” is based on this Latin word.) Maundy refers to the “new commandment” which Jesus gave… Continue reading
Whatever else we may say about our Christian faith, I think most of us would agree that at the very least, Jesus reveals the nature of God. When we see Jesus, we see and understand what God is like, who God is, and how God feels toward us. That’s what… Continue reading
The word “pantheism” is comprised of two Greek words: pan (which means all or everything) and theism (which means belief in God). Pantheism asserts that God is everything and everything is God. God does not exist apart from the universe. In other words, God and the universe are identical. In… Continue reading
The word for authority in Greek is “exousia” which referred to the right (as in authorization) of someone to exercise power. This Greek word is made up from two other Greek words: “ex” meaning “out of” as in our word “exit” and “ousia” meaning “being.” So, authority comes from one’s… Continue reading
If your only goal is to love, there is no such thing as failure. Francis succeeded in living in this single-hearted way and thus turned all failure on its head, and even made failure into success. . . That eagerness to love is the core and foundation of his spiritual… Continue reading
We now come to our third story in Genesis—the story of Cain and Abel. The origins of this story probably explain the violent competition for land between herders and farmers at the beginning of civilization. Farmers need land to cultivate. Sheep herders need land to graze their sheep. Historically, even… Continue reading
Lewis Smedes once wrote, “Yahweh is the sort of God who sticks with what He is stuck with.” Any love that does not “stick with what it is stuck with” is not sacred and soon surrenders its splendor. A sacred love is precious, deep, and sacrificial. It’s unconditional and goes… Continue reading
In some ways the Whistle Stop Café became church for people who would not have been comfortable or welcomed in the traditional churches in that community. Continue reading
The first of the four cardinal virtues of the Roman Catholic Church is “prudentia,” which basically means damn good thinking. Christ came to take away our sins, not our minds. (William Sloane Coffin) One of the most bizarre interactions I have ever witnessed was between a philosophy professor and a… Continue reading
