One of the Calvinist cornerstones of Prosperity Theology is the idea that God has a plan for each person living. This idea is comfort to some and a torment to others. Many people have told me of the anguish they felt begging God night after night to reveal the plan to them. Where do I go in life? What should I do? How can I know I am doing the right thing in my life? Other people can revel in... Read more
September is when we begin putting our gardens to bed where I live. In the fields early corn gave way to beans which is giving way to cover crop. Smaller kitchen gardens are producing fall squashes including pumpkins. Perhaps, some diligent people are sowing greens for the late autumn and early winter. But the winding down time is almost here. The days are getting shorter but are still very warm. It is almost outdoor fire time. Being a pastor it... Read more
Churches are declining in numbers. A non-religious conservatism is on the rise. More people are self-describing as “nones” when it comes to religious affiliation. It is a common assumption that the political Left is more secular while the political Right is more religious. But is this true? Maybe. But, if it is, it is not as true as it once was. In an essay written for the New York Times, Nate Hochman appears to both bewail the diminishing religious right... Read more
John Climacus in the Diapsalmata observed people demand freedom speech and neglect their freedom of thought. While Kierkegaard wrote ideas he did not agree with under pseudonyms, something tells me he agreed with this one. Maybe it is just me. In the cultural and historical context in which I live, I see this people loudly saying things they really have not thought much about. They either fool themselves into thinking they understand the problem. Or they are afraid to give it... Read more
A definition for a church building is “a place for Christian worship.” I have pondered this idea throughout my ministry. We tend to think we know what Christian worship is even when we have different ideas about it. But what is place? Protestants often say, “We can worship God anywhere.” I agree. But only up to a point. I disagree with the implication of claiming “I can worship God anywhere.” This assertion is only true in certain circumstances. Personal devotions... Read more
Student Loans are an important part of receiving a university education. Usually, for undergraduates, they are a big part of the Financial Aid package. For universities, they are an important source of income. The small “Christian university” I attended in Oklahoma would not survive without them. In fact, I wonder how many of the small religiously affiliated liberal arts colleges would close their doors if the student loans were not available. So, Christians opposing any forgiveness of student loans is... Read more
Toby Veck is one of my heroes. He is a man with observations. Toby is Dicken’s protagonist in The Chimes, one of his other Christmas stories. “Nothing is more likely to come around as dinner time and less likely to come around as dinner.” Toby’s observations (or obserwashions) are as good as any other modern aphorist. My own inclination to puns and irony are less insightful. But I can be just as proud of them as Toby Veck is of... Read more
“One of us.” 1001 robots standing deathly still in a warehouse say at the same time. The scene is from I, Robot a film loosely based on Asimov’s “Three Laws of Robotics.” There is one particular robot in hiding within a group. The other 1000 know which one it is but are unable to directly answer the question, “Which one?” It is a creepy scene. The most creepy part is the apparent mindlessness of 1000 individual artificial intelligences. I saw a... Read more
There is spiritual value to manual labor. Back-breaking work, on the other hand, destroys people. How do we practice the one without embracing the other? Let me get a few misconceptions out of the way first. I am not talking about hobbies. Some people do crafts as hobbies. And yes, there is some spiritual value in that. But this not what I am talking about when I mean manual labor. I am not talking about therapeutic value. Hobbies tend to... Read more
Lies are reality if they are told first. That is until they are proven false. Alex Jones tried skirting accusations of perjury by arguing he had believed what he said to be true. Church people are particularly adept at this game. Lies are easier to believe when they reinforce a prejudice. The more outrageous the lie, the more outrage it produces. Outrage is real even if it is based on a lie. And outrage can manifest itself into real harm.... Read more
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