Creation
“Then God said, ‘Let us make….’” (Genesis 1.26) In the beginning God came into the room and said, “Let’s dance!” So they began an exuberant dance of billions of years of laughing and trillions of spinning, a great ancient dance…
It’s Tuesday, but Wednesday’s Coming
It’s hard to look past election day for most of us because our future has been cast in increasingly apocalyptic terms. One gets the impression that no matter who is elected, it’s all over. The level of alarm, panic, and…
At Just the Right Time
I didn’t know the ultrasound tech wanted to do “a look around” before zeroing in on the baby. The last time we were in that room it was because the OB couldn’t hear the heartbeat on the handheld monitor at…
Meaningless
The book of Ecclesiastes is dangerous. Ancient Rabbis worried that, even though they believed it to be inspired scripture, the book could be misinterpreted and “cause an inclination to heresy.” Christians disagree on how to interpret passages of scripture, of…
Frugality and Grace
You probably know the stories, having heard them growing up. About how everyone on the farm worked, about how the Native Americans used every part of the buffalo, about how scrap drives helped win The War. Relics of a natural…
Spiritual Asceticism
“Faith without works is dead.” So says James, bringing a difficult tension into the Christian life. Protestant Christianity, at least, with its emphasis on faith alone, has had a difficult time figuring out what to do with James’s words. I…
Keep the Whole Law
St. Paul wanted to convince the Galatians not to get circumcised, which you would think wouldn’t be that hard to do. Just a simple diagram is all it would take, with big letters at the top: “Really?!?” Controversy over! In…
Faith and Healing
In Acts 3, Peter and John heal a crippled beggar and later attribute the healing to faith in Jesus’ name. This raises all sorts of questions, especially in our culture this one: How can I get the same thing? How…
Saturday
[This is a sermon I gave to fellow students while I was in seminary. It is somewhat specific to that audience, but I thought I should maybe just put it out there for whoever to read. It is a reflection…
Lenten Question 3: “Are you able to drink this cup?”
The 1950’s were great. In fact, probably the high point of human society. Of the many wonders of the decade, the advent of mass produced home appliances has to rank pretty highly. They revolutionized home life by making mundane tasks…
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