-
FOSTERING FRIENDSHIPS
If there is one thing Covid brought home to me it is that I – even as an avowed introvert – NEED friendly physical human interaction. And even though “social distancing” is starting to pass into memory, when you stack our ongoing and ever-growing reliance on technology on top of the estrangement lingering from the days of pandemic and it feels like even the extroverts are starting to lose genuine connections to other people. (And half the population has a third strike against them: being males. We are just too often resigned to a daily life lacking in close friendships.)…
-
RITUAL, THEN DISCIPLINE
I recently came across Dr. Michael Heiser for the first time. I am just starting to explore his material but what I have seen so far has been top-notch. One of his emphases is on moving beyond personal “Bible reading” to “Bible study”. Heiser rightly points out they are not the same thing. In his compact book Brief Insights on Mastering Bible Study, the author entitles his 4th chapter “Bible Study is a Discipline, Not a Ritual Event”. He writes:
-
TAKING A NAME
How often do we mistake cultural assumptions for biblical truths? And how is it that professed “people of the Book” can go years – sometimes even their entire lives – without questioning any of those assumptions? I think the poster child for this sort of profound oversight might be the second commandment: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. (Exodus 20:7) Why do we think that what is meant here is that God is deeply offended whenever someone smashes their…
-
“FOR” US, NOT “TO” US
I have heard several theologians express a concept which I have concluded is pretty darn important: “The Bible was written FOR us, but not TO us.” This is meant to be a reminder that when reading the Bible we must be conscious of how far removed the original audience is from us in time, culture, and worldview. This should humble us and drive us into probability thinking when interpreting and applying Scripture, especially those passages which are more obscure. This is where I think Ken Hamm and most “young earth creationists” miss the boat (so to speak!) when it comes…
-
IN THE BEGINNING
Do you have a pet peeve? Some odd little thing that gets under your skin? Something which rolls right off the back of most people, but drives you into temporary insanity? Someone popping bubble gum? The misuse of a particular word? (Like saying “I could care less” when you really mean “I couldn’t care less”.) Cracking of knuckles? Chewing with the mouth open? For me, it is being late to a movie. I want to be early. I want to see every single trailer for coming attractions. If I miss even the first two minutes of a movie, I would…
-
DAD FOR A DAY
I really only accomplished one thing today – being a Dad to each of my four kids. Two in person and two from a distance. Samuel was passing through Columbus on his way to Georgia for the weekend – I took him out for coffee and conversation and then fed him lunch. Caleb called for advice on getting himself, his car, and his stuff moved to El Paso next week – I helped him think through his options. Hannah’s birthday was today and I ventured into the online world of DoorDash for the first time in order to get some…
-
10 YEARS AGO: THE RESTAURANT
Ten years ago I ventured into Cap Haitien, Haiti to take my 3 “Haitian sons” out to eat. Here we are on the Boulevard along the waterfront before dinner: Me, Mikken, Johnny, and Ruysdael. The occasion was Johnny’s birthday. I took the guys to Lakay, a sit down restaurant I had visited a couple of times with other missionaries. It was about 9 months into my first year in Haiti and I still had a lot to learn about cultural differences and about extreme poverty. After we had our fill of creole chicken and rice and beans, I asked the…
-
JUDGED MORE STRICTLY
As a lifelong churchgoer and a former youth pastor, I’ve watched and worked with quite a few pastors in my lifetime. At this stage of my life, I find that I don’t often feel judgmental toward unbelievers who “know not what they do” or believers who fall short of the Author and Perfecter of our Faith. If I get to feeling judgmental these days, it is usually directed at fellow pastors, men and women who are acting in ways that reflect badly on our Lord. Or who reinforce the world’s negative stereotypes of believers. I’ve known a few truly godly…
-
THE ONLY OTHER CHOICE
I grew up in the United Methodist Church. As a denomination, the UMC has long recognized the validity of women as pastors. What I learned when I graduated from seminary in the late 90s, was that not every person in the pew or in leadership was on board with the official stance. When I finished at Asbury, I got a call from my District Superintendent to ask my interest in filling a half-time position at a little congregation not far from my hometown of Shelbyville. I was very interested. This man picked me up in his car and together we…
-
LOOKING UP
The moon passed in front of the sun today – at least from our perspective here in Columbus, Indiana. I turn 56 this week and in my lifetime I had never experienced a solar eclipse in “totality” until today. It was an interesting couple of hours for Melissa and me as we sat in the backyard watching the moon slowly get in and then out of the way of the sun’s normal business. Our retinas remain intact – we used our official solar eclipse glasses throughout, except for the 3 minutes and 46 seconds of totality. It certainly made for…