Prayer isn’t about God listening to us—but about attendant believers getting to know God. Praying Like My Cat My cat amazes me. He has an incredible ability to concentrate on just one thing, blocking out all distractions. I’ve spotted him sitting on the window ledge, staring into the house, waiting for someone to walk by the window. Then he’ll submit his request with a meow, and we’ll let him in. Whenever he does this, he lingers in this concentration... Read more
Is there any hope of peace when the other person is just so wrong? Frienemies My older brother and I grew up as best friends and worst enemies at the same time. With not even two years between us, I always felt like I was riding his coattails. He must have been aggravated by his little brother trailing after him. He made me feel like everything I did was wrong unless I did it like him. So, when mutual... Read more
People have often asked me, “Is it a sin for a Christian to get tattooed and pierced?” Followers of Jesus have mixed opinions. Many conservatives believe tattoos are of the devil, while other people honor God as the Creator of their bodies by covering them with artwork. I’ve gotten mixed reactions from Christians when they have seen my ink. Some want to know if I can recommend an artist (I can—my daughter Emily in Charlottesville, VA). Others want to know... Read more
Viewing God as our heavenly father is problematic for people who always felt their dads were disappointed in them. Daddy Issues “Are you stupid?” I yelled at my son. Instantly, I heard my own dad’s voice in my words. That’s what he’d said to me when I was the same age as my kid. Without missing a beat, I answered my own question. “Of course, you’re not stupid—you’re way too smart for the stupid thing you’re doing!” But the damage... Read more
As Jewish believers celebrated Purim this past week, I finished my reading of the Greek version of Esther. It’s a much better version than the Protestant canonical one—one that I hadn’t read before. There’s so much to say about this amazing book, especially at Purim which celebrates its events. Today, I want to focus on how to apologize like a king. Reason to Apologize The Persian King Xerxes from the movie 300 had a lot of reasons to apologize. But... Read more
The world watches in horror as Vladimir Putin invades Ukraine and slaughters his enemies. Are Christians to believe that Jesus wants to do the same? Conquering King The Book of Revelation ends with King Jesus returning on a white stallion. Clad in a robe dipped in blood, he terrifies the nations with eyes of fire. He defeats them with a sword from his mouth, and rules them with a rod of iron. On his robe and tattooed on his thigh... Read more
Do progressive Christians who no longer believe in an inerrant Bible still have a source of ultimate Truth? Recently, someone accused me of not having an ultimate source of truth. As a fundamentalist, he believes that the Bible is the Christian’s ultimate source of truth. As such, anything that diverges from the inerrant Word of God that he believes in must be a lie. Because I believe some of the doctrines he derives from a “plain reading of scripture” (eternal... Read more
Is Vladimir Putin the antichrist? Yes, and no. Who is the Antichrist? When I was young, it seemed like Christians were always trying to answer the question, “Who is the Antichrist?” Ronald Regan (who has six letters in each of his three names and survived a gunshot) was a possibility. Mikhail Gorbachev (who had the Hebrew letter vav dripping blood on his forehead) was another noteworthy candidate, along with the shah of Iran. So was every leader that emerged in... Read more
Are wars and rumors of wars, natural disasters, climate change, and pandemic signs of God’s wrath? Religion journalist Cathleen Falsani writes: A judge in Nebraska threw out a 2007 lawsuit filed against God by state Sen. Ernie Chambers, who had sought permanent injunction against the Almighty for bringing “acts of terrorism” against the Cornhusker state. Chambers…asked that an order be issued demanding God to cease and desist from causing ‘fearsome floods, egregious earthquakes, horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes, pestilential plagues,... Read more
If it’s been a long time since you were in church, you may ask yourself, “Does worship still matter?” Whether it’s due to COVID or because of your own religious deconstruction, you may tell yourself that it’s no longer important. You’ve gotten out of the habit and haven’t missed it. Today in this series on the apocalypse, we examine the theme of worship. Is Worship Important? If you’re questioning and deconstructing your faith, you may have concluded that worship... Read more
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