The Reformation was a wild and tumultuous time in European history. It was a time when many different groups of people pulled away from the power and control of the Roman Catholic Church. Previously in the year 1054, the Church (then called the Holy Catholic Church–Catholic meaning “universal”) split off into two main groups, the […]
The What-If Syndrome
As Christians it seems as if more weight is put on our decisions because we don’t know if we have God’s seal of approval on our choice or not. So after going back and forth, we are left with the what if. What if this job isn’t for me? What if the man that I’m […]
Amazing Grace
When encountering people from other ethnic, national, or religions, grace is a word that’s hard to understand because it means different things to different people. Consider this scenario. When I consider my life, my reward looks dismal. As I remember the things I’ve done, things I’m too ashamed to tell, I think, “There’s no way […]
In Someone Else’s Shoes
When encountering people from other ethnic, national, or religious cultures it is easy to see how their culture influences their values and ways of thinking about the world. Yet, in Marilynne Robinson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Gilead, the fictional narrator Reverend John Ames reminds me that I am no different. As Ames tries to make sense […]
The Fatal Flaw in the Philosophy of the Force
“The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together,” says Obi-Wan Kenobi, in A New Hope. In The Force Awakens, Han Solo reflects, “I used to wonder about that myself. Thought it was a bunch of mumbo-jumbo. A magical power holding together good and evil, the dark side and […]
Seeing Who God Sees
When I was in the 6th grade, a friend told me I had the ugliest smile she had ever seen. She suggested that I not smile so hard. I don’t have the best memory, but when certain hurtful words from my past are used, I can vividly tell you when, where, and how I felt […]
Welcome, You.
One day when Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent near the great trees of Mamre, he looked up and saw three men standing nearby. He hurried to meet them and then bowed low to the ground, asking them if he could wash their feet and begging them to stay. Afterward, he went […]
To Be God’s Child
Last night I was laying down with my two year old daughter as she fell asleep. Sometimes, this time of my evening tortuous. She’ll be fighting sleep, elbowing me in the face, begging for water, and I will want to pull all my hair out. But other times, like last night, true magic happens and […]
Remarkably Dramatic
I have a confession. I have a favorite book of the Bible. I know they’re all inspired by God, and they all have authority over my life, but I just can’t help it. Something about the Book of Mark just grabs me in a way no other book does. But if you’re like me, or […]
Getting into The Good Place
“WELCOME, EVERYTHING IS FINE.” With these reassuring words, we are ushered into the premise of the television show The Good Place. The main character, Eleanor Shellstrop, is dead. Now, being received in a business office by an executive in a suit, she’s told, “In the afterlife, there’s a Good Place… and there’s a Bad Place. You’re in […]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- …
- 19
- Next Page »