In the ancient world, people believed that knowing a person’s name gave them a degree of power over that person. You might use your knowledge of someone’s name to give the person a blessing or place a curse on him or her.
Mission and the Families of the Earth
August 16, 2023 by Leave a Comment
The story of ancient Israel offers one powerful example of the way gives meaning to each particular family. The challenge is to find the point of intersection between the story of the family and the purposes of God in the world.
A Preface to the Question of Why There is Evil
June 28, 2023 by
For almost five decades, I have been considering, thinking about, reading, and studying the problem of evil and suffering.
5 Guidelines for Building a Racially and Culturally Diverse Church Staff
April 19, 2023 by
One of the best ways to communicate a goal of racial and cultural diversity is to have a diversified staff. Actions do speak louder than words.
Your Commute as a Spiritual Discipline
February 8, 2023 by
My morning commute reminds me that I am not the Christian I should be. I drive nine miles to my job—two miles of neighborhood, three miles of suburban commerce, and four miles of houses.
We Need the Hope of Christmas Now
December 7, 2022 by
Simply and directly, our world is not what it should be. And the Advent and Christmas season offer the expectancy of what should be.
My Undelivered Stand-up Routine for Those Not Likely to Come Back to Church
November 8, 2022 by
How is everybody doing tonight? You look great. You’re less sober than the people I usually talk to.
How Will They Remember You When You’re Gone?
November 2, 2022 by
This past week, I conducted a celebration of life service at a beloved church I serve. The packed sanctuary was a reminder to all who were present of this church member’s caring spirit.
God Can See in the Dark
October 18, 2022 by
I can’t see in the dark. It’s a fact of life. I’ve proven it many times, getting up in the night, foolishly believing I can navigate through the house without turning on a light, and then tripping over a sleeping dog.
How the Second Testament Came to Be
August 9, 2022 by
Let’s engage in a thought experiment. Let’s assume that the Apostle Paul suddenly materializes in the midst of a Christian worship service today.
The Bible as a Mirror and a Window
July 13, 2022 by
God doesn’t save us by the completeness of our knowledge but rather by our faithfulness to what we do know and our openness to the possibility of learning more. This, I think, is what Jesus meant when he said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me.”
Assumptions about the Word of God
June 28, 2022 by
At the end of Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 film The Ten Commandments, Moses and the future leaders of Israel stand on Mt. Nebo surveying the promised land.
Ancient Israel as God’s Archetypal Family
May 24, 2022 by
The story of Israel is then an archetypal story. All families of the earth share similar stories about their emergence as a people, the land or space that they inhabit, and the challenges and obstacles that they have overcome.
The Physical Resurrection
April 13, 2022 by
The Christian proclamation that God raised Jesus from the dead is the basis for the Christian faith and, at the same time, a huge stumbling block for many people. “When you’re dead you’re dead,” we say.
Paul’s Reputation as Sexist
March 22, 2022 by
Paul’s reputation as sexist rests on two passages attributed to him. The first is 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, the second is 1 Timothy 2:11-12.
Demands of the Season
January 25, 2022 by
It turns out that you can’t just go in and look around in such an important place. The place demands more of you.
In the Meantime, Part 3
January 19, 2021 by
While you are in between jobs, the hours and days may stretch before you in a disheartening monotony. The activities you choose to engage in in addition to job hunting can be life-giving, but they can also be hard to choose for yourself.
In the Meantime, Part 2
January 12, 2021 by
Last week we considered Entertainment and Physical Activity, two activities we might fill our time with in addition to job hunting while we are in between jobs.
In the Meantime, Part 1
January 5, 2021 by
When you are working, sometimes you find yourself wondering how to squeeze in your whole to-do list each day. You face various demands that pull you in all directions, and at the end of the day you may find yourself completely exhausted.
Skipping Christmas
December 1, 2020 by
For centuries, Christians have celebrated the birth of Jesus by coming to church to sing, pray, remember, give thanks, and recommit our lives to Christ. What were we thinking?