The Bible There is a new addition to my office, a brown leather copy of Holy Scripture. I ordered it when I was at a denominational meeting this summer. Not often do I find my favorite translation in a comfortable size, so when I found this one I was excited. The two gold ribbons for page markers are tucked in Genesis and Isaiah, where my reading is right now. I do not need a ribbon for the Psalms, as I... Read more
What I have most wanted to do is make religious writing an art New Atheism Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and other writers are part of an intellectual movement known as “New Atheism.” While there have always been atheists, New Atheism is a militant version of the ideology. In the past, atheists have been content with mere disbelief. New Atheism, however, argues it is important to protest against religion, ridicule it, and convert people from religion. It has a zeal,... Read more
Conspiracies and Faith: Did Jesus Really Exist? What is in Area 51? Did Oswald work alone? Was there a moon landing or was the footage filmed on a set somewhere? Is Elvis alive? Did he fake his death? Did the aliens build the Gaza Pyramids? No doubt you can add several conspiracies to the list. Watching late-night TV while fighting insomnia, you can find yourself engrossed in all kinds of conspiracies, usually involving aliens. Add in grainy pictures and eerie... Read more
Addictions Among Us In my pastoral role, I have become convinced that most families have a member who faces an addiction of some kind. According to a recent survey, 46% of all Americans have a friend or family member with a substance abuse problem. If one were to calculate the number of people who have behavioral addictions, the percentage would undoubtedly be much higher. No segment of society is immune. Recent comments by professional golfer Rory McIlroy about Phil Mickelson’s... Read more
I’m Not Good at Waiting I confess it, I’m not good at waiting. Long lines in a checkout center annoy me. If I am stuck in one, my eyelids will twitch and my nostrils will flare in an accelerating rhythm. I will have to fight the desire to put down my merchandise and flee. Put me in a long line of traffic and I will curse the invention of the automobile itself. If I have placed an Amazon or eBay... Read more
“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? …How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? …But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. Psalm 13 The Human Brain The human mind is a gift and a wonder. Our brains process information so quickly we are seldom aware of the process. We can evaluate visual information and auditory information and walk down a flight of... Read more
When People Lose Faith She does not publish her name, but Eve_wasframed is her Facebook handle. She has nearly 2,000 followers, and she makes short Facebook videos, called reels, intending to help people shed their Evangelical faith as she has. With a gleam in her eyes and glee in her voice, she argues that her life is better since leaving the faith. It is sad when people lose their faith, it is sadder when they lose it for dubious reasons. See... Read more
How a Skinned a Knee is Like a Hurting Soul One of the best parts of being a father of little children is taking them to church with me. One of my girls loves to go to church because she “wants to see her friends.” She loves everything about our church, and she hates leaving when it is time to go home. That, of course, is one of the difficult parts of being a father, getting little people to leave... Read more
O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me–David, King of Israel (Psalm 3:2 NIV). Cruelty Delivered With A Smile It was cruelty, deftly delivered. A smiling face veiled malicious intent. The warm embrace of a longstanding friendship was an opportunity for betrayal, and there was no warning. She delivered her words so carefully, so precisely that they were unnoticed until the conversation was over. One expected loyalty and kindness. The other delivered treachery and spite.... Read more
“…What is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that you care for him..” David, King of Israel, Psalm 8:5 Voyager and the Pale Blue Dot In early 1990, the satellite Voyager was screaming through the solar system at 36,000 mph[1] on its way to becoming the first man-made object to leave the solar system. On Valentine’s Day, Voyager’s commanders decided to direct the satellite to make one last turn toward Earth and... Read more
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