Perhaps you’ve heard the expression, “Lend a helping hand.” Instead of standing aloof, get involved. Now some people may be tempted to think that God stands aloof and does not lend a helping hand, unless perhaps we call on God to come to our aid. St. Irenaeus challenged that notion back in the second century A.D. In fact, he was not content to say God lends a helping hand. Rather, God is always at work in and for the creation... Read more

  A young lady named Ana was severely injured in a head-on, hit and run automobile accident in mid-October. Ana has slowly proceeded from critical condition to rehabilitation. A friend of Ana’s shared yesterday that Ana was asked what she is thankful for at Thanksgiving. Her response to the question? “God.” Ana’s response moved me. Like Naomi and Ruth, who clung to Yahweh during desperate, vulnerable times as widows and refugees, and like Paul, who clung to Jesus while in... Read more

Jesus’ whole life was Spirit-dependent (Spirit-Christicism). The Lord depended on the Holy Spirit at every turn. He was conceived by the Spirit (Luke 1:35), baptized and anointed through the Spirit (Luke 3:22; Luke 4:18), led by the Spirit (Luke 4:1), lifted up in crucifixion through the Spirit (Hebrews 9:14), and raised by the Spirit (Romans 8:11). What more was left? Nothing. Jesus’ whole life was and is constituted by the Spirit. Here are the biblical texts that I referenced in order... Read more

Sometimes I hear people talking about the Holy Spirit as if the Spirit is impersonal. Read more

How religious are the world religions? Most “religions” do not conceive themselves as doctrinal systems. Read more

News reports flood the internet concerning numerous accusations of long-standing histories of sexual abuse by entertainment industry giants Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey. If true, one wonders how they got away with these horrible offenses for years. No doubt, success, celebrity and power shut the mouths of many victims and witnesses to abuses and crimes so that the guilty parties are not brought to justice. What leads people to open their mouths and speak out? The confidence that justice ultimately... Read more

People across the world, whether they be adherents of a particular religion or not, often wonder about this question. Read more

Many Christians express fears over Halloween given concerns over evil spirits. But how about the Holy Spirit? Read more

There’s no way in the world Luther could have foreseen the impact his 95 Theses had on the future of ecclesial and societal life in Germany and beyond. Read more

One of the most popular rock songs ever is Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” A great amount of ink has been spilled on the meaning of this and other Nirvana songs. Just as it is quite difficult to discern the words from listening to the tune, it is not so easy to understand the meaning of the words.[1] Regardless of the meaning of the words to the song, Nirvana captured the spirit of a generation in large part due to iconic Kurt Cobain’s songs and personal vibe. Did... Read more