I talk a lot about not using the Bible as a weapon--aka using scripture to hurt and harm others. Scripture is often mis-used to exclude and shame people. All too often, it is scripture taken out of context and sometimes the "scripture" wielded is not even actually in the Bible. We don't usually associate forgiveness with weaponry, but it is used all the time to guilt, shame and ...
Read MoreOn International Women's Day, let's celebrate little known women of the Bible. For centuries, people have abused the Bible in order to oppress and quash the rights of women. They've done their best to diminish and even obscure the powerful roles women played in our scriptures. Who knows how many stories were simply excluded from the canon by the men who curated it? Here are a few stories of women ...
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Here is a piece that I wrote for my denomination's (Presbyterian Church USA) Season of Peace. If you need another reason to take care of yourself, here you go: Then suddenly a messenger tapped him and said to him, “Get up! Eat something!” Elijah opened his eyes and saw flatbread baked on glowing coals and a jar of water right by his head. He ate and drank, and then went ...
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Maybe this horrific tale that we've tried to turn into a children's nursery theme actually does have something good to tell us about who God is. Maybe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elVp0X3YvSE&t=10
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Even the most confident, well-adjusted, emotionally healthy, spiritually grounded people in the world (and let’s face it—how many of those people are there out there) need reminders that they are, indeed, beloved children of God, worthy of love and capable of doing good things in the world. We ALL need to be reminded. If you've followed me for awhile, you probably know about the IALAC sign we wear. We all start the ...
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I am a big believer in community when it comes to nurturing our faith. I believe that the Christian life is meant to be lived out in community. Jesus called 12 disciples. The early church gathered together to pray and learn. For we trinitarians, God actually dwells in community as the three-in-one. But... If you only nurture your faith life when you are in community (in church, Bible study, prayer group, small ...
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This is a text version of the story I told at the opening worship this past week's Arts, Recreation and Worship Conference. You can find video at the bottom of the post. The whole story--our story, our faith story--begins and ends with water It all begins with the spirit of almighty God hovering over the water—an inky, black, watery abyss. Water left to its own devices will create chaos and wreak ...
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https://open.spotify.com/episode/4eAitdqpo0GjlsaliGL5Vg?si=ae02d7a935a14a2e Here we get our first glimpse of the disciples gathered together after the resurrection. All in all, not a very pretty picture. Near the end of his life, Jesus had carefully prepared his disciples to be a devoted and confident fellowship of faith. They were to be a community of love whose doors were always open and the welcome mat always out, but here we find them barricaded in a ...
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There's this great, dramatic story in the Bible where prophet Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to prove whose God is greater(1 Kings 18). And Elijah wins. Big time. Elijah made all the prophets of Baal look like idiots. Totally discredited them. Well, and then let them be killed by a mob he whipped up into a frenzy. And surprise! He gets put on Queen ...
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Yesterday, I went with my husband to visit his parents. They emigrated from Germany over 60 years ago. As young children following World War II, they were both war refugees when Allied Forces came in to take over the country. My mother-in-law is from the land that became the Czech Republic, and my father-in-law from what became part of Poland. They know first-hand the cost of war. My husband, Rob, ...
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At Christmas, we get all caught up with the great story of the star and the shepherds and the inn with now room and the baby born in a barn. We forget about those people who were waiting. The ones who were so desperately waiting for the messiah. We forget how tangible the expectation was for the messiah to come. Anna and Simeon were just two of the people ...
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Hey friends, the new Gospel According to Broadway Bible Study is up and running. I thought I'd share the playlist of songs that the study pairs with different Bible stories and verses. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2jYmmMNTEfWDnlJoLIigbX?si=89bdb5380c9b4006 I'm actually going to see Waitress again tonight because country singer Jennifer Nettles is playing the lead character of Jenna for another week or so, and I think she'll be great in the role. Join us for the Gospel According ...
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Seventeen SongsSeventeen-plus Bible versesAnd how they intersect to help us become the people of God we are called to be. https://youtu.be/P9w2PzdK4zo Find Out More Kinky Boots ~ Wicked ~ Sister Act ~ Dear Evan Hansen ~ Come From Away ~ Heathers ~ Matilda ~ Something Rotten ~ Avenue Q ~ Footloose ~ Spongebob the Musical ~ Hairspray ~ Book of Mormon ~ Miss Saigon ~ Once on This Island ~ Waitress ~ ...
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Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong? Of course you have! I don't care who you are, where you're from or how much of an insider you look like to others, we have all felt like we didn't belong. That is a really rotten (and scary) feeling. That you’re an outsider. That your life is somehow unacceptable. That you aren't enough. Click and check out Matthew 9:9-14 . That’s probably how Matthew had ...
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It kicks off October 15 (aka my dad's Birthday!) https://youtu.be/Q592rrw_zE8 Seven Songs Seven Stories Some new insight into what the Bible is saying to us. (Maybe even some characters you missed!) It's fun. It's online. You do it on your own time. Opt in now and start on October 15 or anytime thereafter. Learn More
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If you're not familiar with the story of Jacob and Esau, you can listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3BLexsGYvmW2cASToRpzvQ?si=zhy0P92PTwmAazGIVtBd2Q&dl_branch=1 To recap: Jacob has been fighting to be the first-born or at least receive the benefits of the first-born since he and his brother were in the womb. Finding his brother in a weak moment, Jacob trades Esau a bowl of stew for Esau’s birthright. Knowing that this not really kosher, Jacob and mom, Rebekah, concoct a ...
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Psalm 121 I raise my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. God won’t let your foot slip. Your protector won’t fall asleep on the job. No! Israel’s protector never sleeps or rests! The Lord is your protector; the Lord is your shade right beside you. The sun won’t strike you during the day; neither will the ...
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Regular followers of Doubting Believer know that I'm not really one to cherry pick Bible verses and toss them out as easy answers or rules for life. Individual scripture passages should be read in context to the whole and always in light of the words, work and witness of Jesus. That being said, there are, of course, some real gems contained in our scriptures that may be just what ...
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There are plenty of verses in the Bible that celebrate wine. Psalm 104 says that wine is a gift from God to "gladden our hearts." Proverbs 3:9-10 claims wine is a blessing for honoring the Lord with our gifts and tithes. Our vats will "overflow with new wine." Jesus turned water into wine (John 2:6-10) , and, of course, Jesus himself instituted one of our holiest rituals using wine to represent his own ...
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I have committed to dropping a new online course on the 15th of every month until the end of 2021. September's offering is All About the Money--because the Bible has a LOT to say about money. Watch the video and click the link below to learn more. Like my other courses, this is one that you can do at your own pace. https://youtu.be/JRBstFTDJk4 Learn More
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A cheerful outlook brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones. Proverbs 15:30 Medical experts have determined that the writer of Proverbs was right: A positive attitude brings joy to the heart because our heart is literally healthier when it is cheerful. Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include: Increased life spanLower rates of depressionLower ...
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How we view God very much affects our own reading and understanding of holy scripture. https://youtu.be/p8SwQcCEBCQ Learn More About That's Not in the Bible
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https://youtu.be/P-Se9v_Q4vg What if it's true? What if the Bible, is indeed, a gift of tools to help us become the people God created us to be--body, mind and spirit. It really is amazing how many things the Bible commands, calls on us, encourages us to do have proven to be excellent health tips! It must hurt God's heart that the Bible, which was clearly meant to be an instrument of healing ...
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While most folks have at least a passing familiarity with at least part of the story of Samson, we often skip over the his origin story. And who doesn't love a good origin story? Last week, I was looking the beginning of Judges, Chapter 13 and (as Doubting Believer regulars know so often happens), I saw something new. I realized something that hadn't occurred to me before. Check it out. Listen to ...
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The story of Hagar is one of the most offensive stories in the Bible. Here Abraham has been promised by God that he will be the Father of a great nation. Promised by God. But since both he and his wife Sara are so old, Abraham decides he’ll hedge his bets and try to reproduce with one of his slaves, Hagar. And yes, such practices were customary in those days, ...
Read Morehttps://open.spotify.com/episode/4GnyCtRBe02WyzcMZgregl?si=N2f6RfklSxi9yqYl_kbLYg @media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-f9f5329.ugb-spacer{height:12px}} This is not a fun story. It doesn't make Sarai, Abram or even God come off looking very good. Hagar, the oppressed concubine pregnant with her master's son, is the hero of the story. We've all had bad days, but I think we can agree that Hagar's bad day is one of the worst. And it is on this day that she encounters God...a God who doesn't even ...
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Today is National Haiku Day. About a year ago, in an effort to demonstrate how much of a Bible geek I am, I created a haiku for each book of the Bible. It was actually about a little bit more than simply trying to establish my Bible Geek cred. It was a way to get clear in my head what the major themes (albeit incredibly simplified) of each Book of ...
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May the God of endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude toward each other, similar to Christ Jesus’ attitude. Romans 15:5 [Common English Bible] One of the things I fail miserably every day is the attempt to be more Christ-like. Where Jesus was kind and patient and gentle, I tend to be cranky, impatient and snarky. However, I do like to encourage people. I want people to feel empowered and do ...
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I've loved this story for awhile and was delighted to find that someone made it into a short film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9N8OXkN0Rk The story is a bit of the reverse of the Road to Emmaus story--where the disciples didn't recognize that their fellow traveler was, indeed, Jesus. Perhaps we have to be on the lookout to find a God who is on the loose in the world.
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Was that your first thought this morning? "I'm gonna encounter the living Lord Jesus Christ." Probably not. And yet, we spend an awful lot of our time looking for Jesus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xkaSNQJ_3o We spend a lot of time looking for Jesus, but it's often in very holy, very specific spaces and places. We don't go out into everyday life expecting to see Jesus...and I think that's why we so often miss him. ...
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7GFKLgjEBk Isaiah 58:1-12 (The Message Translation) 1-3 “Shout! A full-throated shout! Hold nothing back—a trumpet-blast shout!Tell my people what’s wrong with their lives, face my family Jacob with their sins!They’re busy, busy, busy at worship, and love studying all about me.To all appearances they’re a nation of right-living people— law-abiding, God-honoring.They ask me, ‘What’s the right thing to do?’ and love having me on their side.But they also complain, ‘Why do we fast and you don’t look ...
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It's one of the many cool things about the Bible. Even the stories we've heard again and again and again still have new things to say to us. Listen with new ears to the story of the Good Samaritan and to what I learned from it this go-round. https://open.spotify.com/episode/7pLNTGD2UaSbAcEAc5i39O?si=CFVcXP79RbeqCyZgZNubmA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dxf0Jpsm6Q
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Lawd, y'all. Here we are in a New Year. A new beginning. A fresh start. But it doesn't seem like all that much as changed, does it? We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we're not there yet. If you feel your faith faltering, remember that a faith that struggles with questions is always stronger than one that never asks any. We're all going to ...
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I know. It's counter intuitive. One shouldn't rush a season of waiting and anticipation, but it's 2020. Everything is different. I think the liturgical police can take a break this year. Advent officially begins on Sunday, but I've already dropped TWO Advent episodes of the Bible Stories for Big Kids podcast. (BTW: You're a big kid.) The first goes with the Narrative Lectionary scripture for the first Sunday of Advent. ...
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This week, we looked at the story of the call of Isaiah. You can listen to it on Bible Stories for Big Kids by clicking the button below or wherever you get your podcasts. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Qy6EHNijJ42nYqbxXYpTq?si=9cGofKATQzG2Sh3LJiaIhA Here are a few of my thoughts. It's not fair to compare ourselves to Isaiah (I mean, I never got an visions of winged creatures or heard the voice of God). But even if we don't ...
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This week's Narrative Lectionary scripture passage is just what we need to hear this week. If you haven't listened to this week's Bible Stories for Big Kids, you can listen wherever you get your podcasts or at the link below. Then checkout my message below. May we all find ways to move forward together as a community and a country. Jonah and American Ninevites https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0FZS-NdqPs&t=3s
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The biggest election of my lifetime is one week away. Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been replaced on the supreme court by someone who stands against much of what RBG stood up for. People's concern for the safety and well-being of their neighbor is at an all-time low. Parts of our country are literally on fire and others are in danger of being flooded...again. It's enough to make anyone lean ...
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This week our story is the one about the Golden Calf--a bunch of people who got tired of wandering in the dessert and starting believing they could come up with their own god (spoiler alert: it doesn't go well). If you haven't heard it year, you can listen here. https://open.spotify.com/episode/16HoUJTjCBfjH5vijmeIQr?si=mR1qdPjcTmWCn3XyxI5hQw Here's this week's short message, but one (I think) we all need to hear. https://youtu.be/RYl60DTT1fY Our Golden Calf Stay-Away-From-Idols playlist . https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2JSFd22YC3VXQJ4h1VnKi1?si=vtkVdvZiRoyY-aMGYP_mjQ Blessings ...
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This week we're looking at the story of the Golden Calf--or what happens when people get tired of waiting and wandering the desert. None of us like to wait. And most of us do not wait well--which explains a lot about some of the bad behavior we've seen from people during the last six months. We know a little bit about what the children of Israel were feeling. It's ...
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This week the Promises Kept series was all about Abraham's backstory--or the prequel, if you will. Here's a recap of all things Abraham. If you haven't listened to this week's episode of the new podcast, get the story here. Counting Stars Here's the "official" Abraham playlist. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2XVV8cBSELvgEAcXnzjc7x?si=uuUbTHFiRU-Abh2NPtAOyg This week's message. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOnExiF0DZ0 I hope you feel you know a little more about Abraham and have found some encouragement in this story of ...
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This week has been all about Adam and Eve--from the first episode of The Bible Stories for Big Kids Podcast to the message of the week. Here are all things Adam and Eve. Bible Stories for Big Kids Podcast https://anchor.fm/doubtingbeliever/embed It's Not the Sin You Think https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ9xVi8yRmY Adam and Eve Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3tE37GUfZTDbbm2fco4dBQ?si=pxQg-YOdTUqvbKlDledBww Next up...Noah. A new Bible Story for Big Kids available on Monday.
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There is much in our scriptures about peace. Listing 100 verses that mention peace wouldn't even be a daunting task. But here are just a few verses that help us remember that peace is so much more than a warm fuzzy feeling or a sense of calm. It is hard fought and a blessing beyond compare. Righteousness and Peace go together The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert, his ...
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This week we're talking fruits of the spirit: kindness and goodness. Though we grow up being told to "be good," this fruit of the spirit isn't about being "good enough" or worthy. We don't have to worry about being good enough--because we can't be. Cue the 80's Amy Grant music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjQ3YYBGAqI Our goodness and worth comes not from our own doing, but from God and what God has done for us ...
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Remember the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den?It's not really about the lionsWhat landed Daniel in that den was his defiant act of prayerPrayer that was illegalDone right in an open window where everyone could see A subversive act of resistance that testified to allThat his God was greater than the king.That his God was more powerful than any empire.That his God was worth risking the lions for.And it is ...
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I am not very good at quoting scripture chapter and verse, but I know my Bible stories. It might have something to do with being an only child in an era before cell phones and the internet and having a mom who made sure I had a TON of Bible story books. As the country begins to open up, and we're all having to discern how to move back ...
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A young woman on the news captures what's wrong with our world in one sentence. A young woman from a few thousand years ago shows us a better way. https://youtu.be/4KpdYk_hPhI
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As part of my Light Up the World online class, I created a Haiku for every book of the Bible to help us remember what we can find where. I'd thought I'd share a few of those here in the form of a quiz. How many of these Old Testament Books of the Bible can you identify from their Haiku? Not sure if the results say more about how much ...
Read MoreHere is the second installment in our It's a Nice Song, but It's Hard to Sing Lenten series. The scripture today is Mark 10:32-45. https://youtu.be/VGxtvH8By0w
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Do you ever have dreams that seem so real, you’re not sure if they happened or not? When I was in my twenties, I used to have a re-occurring dream. Actually, it was a series of dreams with a re-occurring theme. If I had been out somewhere that night—a party, the movies, a restaurant, a friend's home—when I came home and went to bed, I would dream that I was ...
Read Morehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV8wFANocHY All of you probably know at least something about Zacchaeus. You may be familiar with the song above. If you are of a certain age and grew up in church, you may be able to picture your Sunday school teacher placing the flannel figure of a little man up in a flannel tree on a flannel board. Maybe you really don’t know much about Zacchaeus, but somewhere, sometime, you heard ...
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God was lonely. That’s the problem with being THE God. It’s not like being one of the gods of Mount Olympus where you could always find another god or goddess to wrestle for power or to go grab a drink with. THE God is all alone. Even though THE God dwells in community as the Holy Trinity, each of the members is really still God…but not God…but still God. Mystery ...
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Who is our neighbor? Jesus makes it pretty clear that everyone is our neighbor. Somewhere in the history of the church of Jesus Christ (and I haven’t been able to put my finger on exactly when and where it happened) The church lost track of that notion. The church became the people who... told women what they could and couldn’t do in the church—and with lives, told people who they could and couldn’t love, condemned people who didn’t ...
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Then God said, “Let us make humanity in our image to resemble us so that they may take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and all the crawling things on earth.” God created humanity in God’s own image, in the divine image God created them,[b] male and female God created them. God blessed them and said ...
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I'm a little (a lot) overwhelmed these days. And I'm not the only one. Colleagues in ministry are juggling demanding calls with caring for ailing parents or children with special needs. Many of my friends are (like me) preparing to send a child off to college for the first time and illness, accidents or unforeseen circumstances are hindering the preparation process. I'm in the middle of moving half-way across ...
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I witnessed an almost-car wreck today. Across the street a car was preparing to turn right. To the left was the top of a hill, and you could only see cars coming as they crested the hill. However, there was enough distance between the crest and where the car was getting on the road that, as long as you didn't see a car, you had plenty of time (I know ...
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Those in our Bible on Location Bible study have just finished our first week. The location and reflection on Day 3 generated the most discussion and seemed to really resonate with people, so I wanted to share it with you all. The title of this post did not come from me, but from one of our study group who remarked, "I've never thought of God as a laundry woman, but ...
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Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.James 1:22 (KJV) Generally the King James is not my go-to translation, but I like the way this verse trips off the tongue in the King's English. We can read and study and discuss and Tweet and even create lovely Instagram graphics of scripture, but we're missing something if we stay only hearers (and even sharers), and fail to be do-ers. One ...
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You hear that a lot. Let Jesus be your guide. Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.Psalm 25:4-5 But what kind of guide does a first century nomadic Palestinian Jew make for 21st Century people? Jesus never had a spouse, or kids or even a real job. Jesus never knew any kind of ...
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May the God of endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude toward each other, similar to Christ Jesus’ attitude. Romans 15:5 [Common English Bible] One of the things I fail miserably at every day is the effort to be more Christ-like. Where Jesus was kind and patient and gentle, I tend to be cranky, impatient and snarky. Perhaps this is why I’m drawn to encouragement as a spiritual discipline. I ...
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Different pastors follow different cycles of scriptures to use in their sermons. Some do thematic or series preaching. Others preach whatever is on their hearts that week. In most Catholic and mainline Protestant churches, preachers follow a lectionary--a set schedule of scriptures that take you through most of the Bible over the course of several years. The traditional Revised Common Lectionary goes in a three-year cycle, but there is a ...
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We gathered to remember one of our closest family friends this weekend. The pastor at their home church was gracious (and grateful) enough to allow our family to participate in the service. I preached, and my dad shared memories, including some written by my mom. One of the stories my dad told of our friend Arlene was a of a time when he was taking his aunt to the doctor and ...
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Luke 19:28-40 The above is really a Palm Sunday passage, so you liturgically-minded folks will wonder why I'm trotting it out just a couple of days before Ash Wednesday instead of waiting till the appropriate day. Bear with me. Though the folks in the story don't yet know it, this passage marks the beginning of the end of Jesus ministry on earth. People are SO excited to see him! They’ve ...
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I find that it's a good idea to check myself from time to time to make sure that my theology is staying faithful to scripture and not just to what I want to believe...or what is convenient to believe...or what is self-serving to believe. So before I go making assertions or sharing opinions on certain subjects, I ask myself these six questions. 1. Is it based on something that is actually ...
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I love the Bible and strongly agree that more people should be biblically literate, but I don’t believe that literacy should be obtained in a public school setting. Aside from the fact that our constitution separates church and state, there are a number of reasons why it's just a bad idea--no matter what your faith is or isn't. Biblical Literacy has no agreed-upon definition. Is it just about teaching kids ...
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One of the statements that some Christians like to throw out whenever they want to exclude or limit the participation and acceptance of women, LGBTQ people, people of color or any group they deem threatening or unacceptable is, "the Bible doesn't change." Meaning that there are verses in the Bible they can point to that say these folks are not okay and that stands for now and all time. There is ...
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I'm getting ready to do something blasphemous to most pastors--I'm getting rid of a lot of my books. As of the first of this year, I no longer have an office in which to house them, and by the end of the summer, my family and I will have downsized our home. I refuse to stash books away in a storage unit. Books should be in the hands of people ...
Read MoreI cannot count the number of times in the past couple of weeks that I have heard or read someone begin a sentence with, "The Bible clearly says..." and then goes on to say something that I have never known the Bible to say. Just to check ourselves, here are six questions we can ask to make sure that when we say, "The Bible says..." we're not just using that make ...
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This month our Doubting Believer Member Community is talking about fear--and how to not do it. Last week we looked at Joshua's call to be strong and courageous. This week, we're looking at God's word spoken by Isaiah to the exiles. Fear not, I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine. There are, of course, healthy fears. The kind of fears that keep us from reaching ...
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A lot of our theology (what we believe about God) comes more from literature, pop culture and popular opinion than we'd like to admit. We all fall in to the trap of bad theology from time to time. Here's a handy six-step guide to check yourself when you think you've allowed less-than-good theology to creep in to your life. Want more Doubting Believer? Check out our Doubting Believer Member Community.
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Who is our neighbor? (Luke 10:25-37) I think Jesus makes it pretty clear that everyone is our neighbor. Somewhere in the history of the church of Jesus Christ (And I haven’t been able to put my finger on exactly when and where it happened) The church lost track of that notion. Somewhere along the way The church became the people who told women what they could and couldn’t do in the church—and in life, who told people who ...
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Pilate went back into the palace. He summoned Jesus and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others spoken to you about me?” Pilate responded, “I’m not a Jew, am I? Your nation and its chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus replied, “My kingdom doesn’t originate from this world. If it did, my guards would ...
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Whether you find the Bible hard to read or have noticed your own Bible study has gotten a little stale, here are five versions of the Bible you may not have seen. Wherever we are in our study of scripture, it's always a good idea to take a look at the Word in a new light, in new format or a different translation. Stories we've stopped hearing because we know them ...
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And in what universe does Jesus back terrorizing children? A 12-year-old transgender girl's school had to be shut down for two days because of violent threats made by grown-ups. She and her family are planning to relocate. A nine-year-old boy committed suicide after being bullied by classmates when he came out as gay. A nine-year-old...who had classmates who were so mean to him, he didn't see anyway out but death. Wonder where they ...
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Ok, so I don't actually have 247 reasons actually written down, but I'm pretty sure there are that many reasons and more not to pluck a verse of scripture from its context and wield it as a tool (or weapon) to make the point you wanted to make before you ever even turned to scripture. Proof texting--it's one of my pet peeves. It robs us of the real richness and ...
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There he was--like so many people in the book of Mark, coming to kneel at the feet of Jesus and ask for healing. Make no mistake about it. This is a healing story (read here). The rich young man had done everything he was supposed to do, yet something was off. He wasn’t sleeping well. He felt anxious all the time. And how could that be happening when he was so wildly ...
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Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats. Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along ...
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The first day of August, typically one of the hottest times of the year across the country, is a great time to think about the story of Jesus being tempted in the desert. Because the dog days of summer may be the best time for us to try and relate to what Jesus went through. Just imagine: You have been out of work for over a month. It’s August in Arkansas and the ...
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William Barclay, one of the world’s most prolific Christian commentators, said, “One of the highest of human duties is the duty of encouragement…It is easy to laugh at [people’s] ideals; it is easy to pour cold water on their enthusiasm; it is easy to discourage others. The world is full of discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a time a word of praise or thanks ...
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Psalm 13 Psalm 13 is a psalm of lament. Psalms of lament are more than a little uncomfortable to read. Should the psalmist really be saying those things out loud? Should we even be reading this stuff that the psalmist shouldn’t have said out loud in the first place? I mean, this kind of Psalm made the final cut into the cannonized scripture, right? Surely they’re not as blasphemous as they ...
Read MoreRecently, Mark Harris, the GOP Nominee for North Carolina's 9th Congressional District seat, said that women should serve their husbands because "only one title is given to a woman in all of scripture...the title given to a woman is 'helper.'" Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a helper. We should all be helpers, but no one should be relegated to a single role in life. It's limiting and oppressive ...
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John 9 I always find healing stories in the Bible problematic. It’s not that I don’t believe the stories. It’s not that I don’t believe that Jesus has the power to heal. It’s that it always brings up the question—if Jesus could heal this blind man, then why doesn’t he heal my blind friend…or my mother who is dying of cancer…or my child with cerebral palsey? If Jesus is this great ...
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Created In God's Own Image Genesis 1:26-31 We are created in God’s own image, in Latin, the imago dei. But what does that mean? How can we fully embrace that we are created in God’s own image if we have no idea what God looks like? Truthfully, it is hard to understand how we are made in the likeness of God when we don’t fully understand God. And, because we are not God ...
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Beyond his Holy Week famous and oft-quoted line (slightly paraphrased), "I wash my hands of the whole thing," how much do you really know about Pilate? Here are five things you may not know about the man who sent Jesus to his death. One: Pilate's wife, Procula, is a canonized Saint in the Orthodox Church. The basis of this canonization is mainly found in Matthew 27: 19, in which she shared ...
Read MoreWe like quick fixes. It kind of seems like the woman in our story this morning got one. She just touched Jesus’s cloak and boom, she was healed. But if you were listening closely to the story, you know that she had been suffering for 12 years. Twelve years! She had seen doctor after doctor. Her condition separated her from family and friends because it caused her to be declared ...
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