Pursuing a holistic expression of Christian faith that is true to the Bible and applicable for today’s world.
Why Do We Do What We Do? I have a compulsion that irritates people, especially in religious circles. I ask, “Why?” I need to know why we do the things we do. What reason is behind them? Is there a biblical justification? Or is it a manmade tradition that has become meaningless ritual? For example, […]
Always Winter and Never Christmas In C. S. Lewis’s classic book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the land of Narnia is under duress: it is always winter and never Christmas. As winter drags on this year, I feel the same way. In Michigan, we enjoy all four seasons and in about equal proportions. […]
In further contemplating last week’s post about being spiritually militant—of fighting evil in the spiritual realm—the word jihad comes to mind. Jihad, originating from Islam, has some specific meanings and one that is more general: In a literal sense, the idea of a holy war repels me. The various inquisitions and crusades, primarily during the […]
We Are on the Winning Side and Can Tell the Devil Where to Go This is my second and likely last post about music from my past. First, I blogged about “I Scream Sunday” and today my topic is Stryper’s “To Hell with the Devil.” This heavy metal tune stirs up a passion inside of […]
As a Word Artist, I Create Art with My Words I’ve never called myself an artist, in large part because I think I’m one of the most uncreative persons on the planet. I’m good at building on the work of others and adept at making something that flows from logic or order, but when it […]
Beware of Using Labels “Are you Arminian or Reformed?” The man’s question surprised me. He seemed sincere, and my answer was apparently important to him, but it perplexed me. Besides, I just met the guy. “I don’t know.” And I didn’t care. I’m sure he thought me as evasive or dismissive or pagan or perhaps […]
Consider How You View and Approach God Two weeks ago, in my post Don’t Make God Boring, I mentioned my dislike for an area of study called systematic theology. Systematic theology is a theological discipline that attempts to present God and Christian faith in an organized and logical structure. Some people have dedicated their entire […]
God Never Calls In Sick For the first time in several years, I have a cold. I’m too wired to sleep but too drowsy to do much else; I alternate between too hot and too cold. I don’t deal with illness well, just ask my wife. My cold has thrown me off my routine, detracting […]
To me, God is a mystery: a beautiful, elusive mystery. I cannot possibly comprehend all there is to know about him. I will never have an answer to every question people ask about him or fathom how he functions. I’m okay with that. In fact, I celebrate it. There’s an allure to not knowing. If […]
Today, I will not go to church, at least not in the traditional way. This Sunday morning I am sitting in an airport, waiting for a flight to take me home. Even so, the church will happen. It might be through a seemingly random interaction with someone at the airport. It could be through silent […]