Why do Christians find it necessary to prove God, or to defend God, to other people? Natural disasters, pandemics, wars, political unrest, and personal tragedies often cause believers to question God. These same events can also give unbelievers reason for their claims that there is no God. The problem of evil and suffering causes some to doubt. Others double down on faith—and even feel the need to protect God from being misunderstood. But are Christians really called to be God’s... Read more
In medieval artwork, Moses is hard to distinguish from the devil. Could there be a connection between the two? Artists of the Middle Ages depicted Moses with horns because of a common mistranslation that rendered the rays of light from his face as “horns.” (See Exodus 34:29-35.) Due to this translational error, countless artists depicted the prophet with golden shafts from his head, while others gave him full-blown antlers. Interestingly, artwork of the same era depicted Satan with horns. But... Read more
When my family left the intrusion of the city and the noise of neighbors, I traded my boyhood playground for Christopher Robin’s hundred-acre wood. My brother and I spent our magical childhood playing among the trees. We climbed in their mighty arms and built forts in their branches. We chased each other around the spreading roots of our great oak guardians. Our young friends the saplings swayed as we swung on their pliant trunks. Since that time, sacred trees continue... Read more
My client was in prison, addicted to drugs, and had reached out to my program for help. I met with him, and we discussed the change he wanted to see in his life. He wanted to get clean, and wanted sobriety. He wanted a new start and a new life. I told him I would join him in that vision for his future. “Only If He Receives Jesus…” Later, with the client’s permission, I spoke with his mother on the... Read more
This is for all who have walked out of the church. Some of you left for good reasons and others–not so much. Some of you should stay, and others should stay gone. Here’s what I mean… Some left because you were hurt. Christians mistreated you. Leaders abused you. People who claimed to follow Jesus neglected you in your time of need. They offered advice instead of giving you the help you needed. Instead of a listening ear, they handed... Read more
Since when did Christianity require people to sign on the dotted line? It must be in one of the lost Chapters of the Gospels that Jesus, calling his new disciples, pulled out a scroll and made them sign their adherence to the creeds. Or maybe a forgotten passage in the book of Revelation says the names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life are actually the signatures of the Saints, pledging allegiance to the heavenly statement of faith. If not,... Read more
Not long after Marriage Equality was passed, the Baptist association of which my church was a member passed a resolution depicting biblical marriage as between one man and one woman, for life. I was the only pastor to voice opposition to this resolution. At the time, I was not free to express my affirmation of LGBTQIA folks in the church. My dissent was primarily due to the fact that Baptist churches are autonomous and that a resolution of that sort... Read more
“You’re saying there are contradictions in the Bible!” screamed the irate church member after one of my sermons. I had pointed out that it’s easy to find passages that disagree with each other. Honestly, I can’t remember the examples I gave, but here are a few I’ll point out now: Biblical Contradictions Exodus says to keep the Sabbath day holy, and Romans says it’s a matter of conscience. Genesis commands believers to circumcise their children, and Galatians says it doesn’t... Read more
America is shooting herself. No other nation on the planet can shoot themselves as well as America does. In 2020, more guns were used for suicide than homicide. Apparently, the US has realized that guns are a great instrument for self-destruction. Jesus said, “Those who live by the AR-15 will die by the AR-15 (Matthew 26:52).” Or, something like that. America is finding this to be true. The Second Amendment How many babies have to die before we realize that... Read more
Why do churches have stained glass? I joke that the reason is to let in the light but keep you from seeing outside. Of course, this isn’t true. The beautiful images were historically a way to teach illiterate people Bible stories through illumination. They celebrated the glory of saints and warned people of the horrors of hell. One particular church I served had windows that filtered the sunlight at a certain time of day, casting rainbows of color on the... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In