Maybe you already knew this, but as I studied the Noah story this past week, I was surprised to find that the text does not say God put a rainbow in the sky as part of His promise to never destroy humanity again.  The word that is used is simply “bow” – as in “bow and arrow” and it denotes a weapon for hunting, destruction, or warfare. So God hangs His weapon up, in the heavens, and pledges to never unleash the floodwaters again.  But when God does this, nothing has changed in the human heart!  This begs the question: So…

“Biblical characters are not models for behavior, but mirrors for self-reflection.” – Dr. Tim Mackie This really ought to be obvious but, if you’re like me, you often read Bible stories with the assumption that everything the central characters do must be aligned with God’s will and, thus, instructive for our own behavior. Is it just lazy – or wishful – thinking? Is it because we assume righteousness is an all-or-nothing proposition? Do we suppose a happily-ever-after template kicks into place as soon as you “ask Jesus into your heart”?  If we do, that’s not coming from the Bible. The…

I’ve said before that “Heretic!” is the theological realm’s version of politics’ “Racist!”  Like “racist”, “heretic” used to mean something fairly specific, but now the smallest step away from established orthodoxy gets labeled heresy. And – like “racist”, it’s a great word to shout if you want to shut up your opponent.  But what if we took H. G. Wells’ framing? “Heresies are experiments in man’s unsatisfied search for truth.” If we didn’t attach our egos so tightly to our doctrinal stances, we might be able to hold onto our “truths” a little more lightly. And allow others to do…

It’s starting to dawn on me that one of modern American Christianity’s biggest problems is a basic mis-framing of the gospel.  It’s not intentional. We use the biblical term “salvation” (Greek soteria) and it’s a great word, but I think everyone tends to mentally tack 2 words onto it that weren’t originally there: “From hell.” Salvation … from hell. And with those 2 imagined words, all of the carefully developed themes running from Genesis to Revelation get brushed aside in the effort to “save people from hell”.  The Greek word for “salvation” has connotations of “welfare, prosperity, deliverance, preservation, and…

A little different sort of post here this evening, because I love telling people about an organization I am a part of called BNI. I have learned so much and have made some great new friends along the way… Fixing the Hole Where the Rain Comes In Last week I had an urgent need to get a hole in my roof fixed before a scheduled appointment with a house appraiser. I considered attempting the repair myself … and then came to my senses. Now normally I procrastinate on calling in the professionals on such projects because I don’t know who…

I listen to a lot of theological debates on YouTube. They always feature individuals who are cocksure that their interpretations of various passages of Scripture are 100% correct while their opponents are mistaken. I was talking to the teens yesterday morning at our Bible study about ways Hebrew varies from English as a language –  When you add all those considerations to all the other language distinctives like idioms and verb tenses as well as the overall fact that the Bible was written in and to an entirely different culture thousands of years ago … It’s amazing to me that…

Officially, I haven’t made much progress on my dissertation work these past few months. Unofficially, though, I have done the most important work: zeroing in on the best approach for the ministry I want to pursue.  Originally, I wanted it to be all online. I imagined automating a series of 40 short, daily emails. That aspect of my prospectus got shot down by my professor. He thought it needed a face-to-face component.  In retrospect, I now agree. Too much of our lives are disconnected and online as it is. Matters of faith are transmitted primarily through relationships.  That said, I…

“It is the inner life of the soul that we must aim to transform, and then behavior will naturally and easily follow. But not the reverse.”  This quote from Dallas Willard sums up much of what his book, The Divine Conspiracy, is all about. (p. 144) The Christian life isn’t so much about changed behavior as it is about a changed heart. It put me in mind of some teaching from James Clear about habit formation.  “Many people begin the process of changing their habits by focusing on what they want to achieve. This leads us to outcome-based habits. The…