Early church leader James wrote, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” It seems that to James, a faith without action is worthless. His statement, however, did not end this debate between faith and works. In fact, he seems to allow at least the possibility of […]
In studying the short letter to Philemon, we’ve looked at the central players of Paul (the author), Philemon (the recipient), and Onesimus (the subject). There are also brief mentions of eight others: Timothy, Apphia, Archippus, Epaphras, Aristarchus, Luke, John-Mark, and Demas. The foundational character, however, is Jesus. He is mentioned more often than any other […]
A few weeks ago, I posited, “everything is spiritual.” This idea did not originate with me, nor is it a new one, but it is worthy of adoption as a personal outlook on life, a guiding perspective. Following that thought, I view all writing as spiritual, too. Writing can be a good spiritual or a […]
Two weeks ago, I asked what is worship? I acknowledged that for many people, worshiping God is singing songs to him or about him. To some, worshiping God may be no more watching other people sing. For me, worshiping is seldom about singing. Raised in a church that exclusively used a pipe organ to play […]
What Are You Going to do About It? How often have you heard someone exclaim, “It’s not fair!”? This lament seems especially prevalent among children and teens. When this complaint is voiced to their parents, the typical response—be it sage or sadistic—is “Life’s not fair.” It’s true; life’s not fair—and I, for one, am glad. […]
waiting for the sand
When I drive by a church there’s usually a sign telling when they meet. The word “worship” often come right before it. While I fully understand what they mean, I’m more than a bit troubled by the gross misuse of that word. Stating that worship is at 10 a.m. on Sunday, sends the strong message. […]
In the story surrounding Paul’s letter to Philemon, there are three central characters: Paul, Philemon, and Onesimus. Since the letter is written to Philemon, let’s talk about him first. Despite having a letter written to him, Philemon is only mentioned by name once in the Bible. It is in the book that bears his name. […]
A friend recently introduced me to two highfalutin, but insightful phrases: Apophatic Prayer and Kataphatic Prayer. Kataphatic Prayer is praying using words, thoughts, and images. Apophatic Prayer is prayer without words, thoughts, and images. Another explanation—often credited to Eugene Peterson, but which I’ve not yet confirmed—is that Apophatic Prayer is praying with your eyes closed, […]
Fasting, after falling out of favor, is being reclaimed as a viable spiritual discipline. While I admit to regularly fasting, I also admit to being regularly perplexed by its practice. Fasting is simply going without something (usually food) for a time to draw closer to God. When I fast, this does happen, but I’m not […]