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 […]

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 […]

We might be surprised to find out what we have taken as the wisdom of God is really dialogue from a musical. In the Sound of Music, Maria wants to be a nun. The Reverend Mother tells her she must first go spend a few months as a governess taking care of seven children. She […]

Comfort is a commodity we always want to give people when we find them under the pain of suffering or an onerous task. When we stand beside someone who is laying in a hospital bed, we desire them to understand God’s compassion. When a huge job is given someone and they are bending under its […]

It was a sharp and cold yet bright winter day on my grandparents’ farm outside Salem, Oregon; a glorious Christmas morning. My grandpa’s dog Bo followed me as I walked down the driveway, past the barn, and turned onto the path leading to the orchard. My family had just said goodbye to my grandpa. His […]

I’m writing this piece in October, the month when grocery stores haul out mounds of candy, and when pumpkin-flavored items appear in unlikely places. Orange and black seem to be the color scheme for just about everywhere, and Halloween costume ideas have already started appearing on my social media feed. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” will soon […]

This summer, I spent two months working for a Christian nonprofit on the coast of sunny South Florida. There, it was not hard to feel God’s presence. Every person I worked with had a close relationship with Jesus, setting strong examples of what it means to put God first. Every week we prayed for each […]

Today, we have the opportunity to take in the Bible in many ways. We can read it in daily devotionals, listen to an audio reading on our commutes to work, tape verses to our bathroom mirrors, take detailed notes during sermons, and scroll through inspirational pictures and verses on Instagram. Yet even with the Bible—God’s […]

When talking about spiritual gifts, people are often quick to think about special abilities that the Holy Spirit provides. This can include controversial gifts like tongues, interpretation of tongues, healings, and prophecy or can include leadership, preaching, and administration. All of these are listed as spiritual gifts in the New Testament, so this comes as […]

Perhaps the most controversial of the spiritual gifts listed in the New Testament is the “gift of tongues.” People seem to either insist that everyone should speak in tongues or that no one should speak in tongues! My friend Matt jokingly told me that the only time he prayed for the gift of tongues was […]