If Jesus were on earth today, would he have a Facebook page? No, says Drew Goodmanson, CEO of Monk Development, a company that helps churches use the Internet to fulfill their missions. In a USA Today article by Cathy Lynn Grossman, Goodmanson appreciates the fact that “you can have a digital Bible in the palm of your hand or connect with others in prayer any time anywhere.” But he goes on to say, “Jesus would not have a Facebook page.... Read more
So, how is the Bible doing these days? Are people still believing it? reading it? Still holding it in high esteem? Or, in our increasingly secular culture, is the Bible going the way of the Sears Catalog and VHS tapes? The American Bible Society recently commissioned an in-depth survey the seeks to answer these questions and many more. (You can download a PDF of the study results here.) Here are some of their findings: • 47% of American adults believe... Read more
Part 3 of series: Handel’s Messiah: An Unexpected Easter Masterpiece Part III In yesterday’s post, I examined Parts I and II of Handel’s Messiah, showing that the birth of Jesus takes up only the first section of the Part I. Part II focuses on the death and resurrection of Jesus, ending with the glorious celebration of the “Hallelujah Chorus.” Part III of Handel’s Messiah returns to the theme of resurrection, at first citing the beloved text from Job: “I know... Read more
Part 2 of series: Handel’s Messiah: An Unexpected Easter Masterpiece Today, I want to begin to examine the libretto (the words of the composition) of Handel’s Messiah to show its strong Easter themes. The Messiah comes in three parts. I’ll provide a short summary of each part, beginning today with Parts 1 and 2. Part I Part I focuses on the birth and life of Jesus. It begins with prophetic promises of the birth of the Christ, many from the... Read more
I ended my last post by promising to discuss one further piece of Easter music. Today, I begin to keep my promise. Several years ago, the choir of Irvine Presbyterian Church, along with a couple of guest choirs, did something you might consider odd. They sang a wonderful, well-known piece of music. This isn’t odd, of course. But the strange part, at least in the perspective of some folks, was the timing of the concert. You see, the choirs sang... Read more
Part 3 of series: Introduction to Eastertide: The Season of Easter In my last post, I began to answer the question of what we might do if we were to celebrate Easter for fifty days. I explained that it’s not as if we ought to repeat the traditions of Easter Sunday fifty times in a row. But there are many aspects of Eastertide celebration that allow us to delight in the resurrection of Christ and thus grow in our faith... Read more
Part 2 of series: Introduction to Eastertide: The Season of Easter In my last post, I shared my personal discovery of Eastertide, the fifty-day season of the Christian year set apart to celebrate the resurrection of Christ and its implications for our lives. I promised to explain a bit further how one might give Easter its due by devoting more time and attention to this crucial holiday. I’m sure some of my blog readers are wondering: “Fifty days of Easter?... Read more
Part 1 of series: Introduction to Eastertide: The Season of Easter No, I haven’t got my days mixed up. Yes, I do mean to wish you “Happy Easter!” You may be done with Easter Sunday services and Easter egg hunts. You may have put away your fancy new Easter dress and your bunny decorations. But Easter isn’t over, at least not for millions of Christians throughout history and throughout the world today. Allow me to explain. As a child, I... Read more
Click on the images below to see them full size. Copyright © 2012, Linda E.S. Roberts. If you would like to use these doodles for a ministry or other non-profit purpose, please contact Mark. Read more
Mark D. Roberts
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What Would You Do If You Got Superpowers? Green Lantern vs. Chronicle
When I was a young boy, I yearned for super powers. After watching The Adventures of Superman on TV, starring George Reeves as the Man of Steel, I would put on my t-shirt with a big ‘S’ on the front, tie a towel around my neck as a cape, and make every effort to fly around the house. On more than one occasion, I actually prayed and asked God to give me super powers. I promised to use them to... Read more