Pursuing a holistic expression of Christian faith that is true to the Bible and applicable for today’s world.
I’ve never considered myself to be a creative person, not like artists and musicians or architects and engineers. While I may be good at tweaking something existing, making something new is not how I’m wired. I’m definitely a left-brain thinker: analytical and logical, a processor of information and problem-solver. Yet, I’m also a writer—and writing […]
When we give something to others, there should be a spiritual element to our generosity. It’s more than just to be nice to them or to feel better about ourselves. There’s a spiritual aspect in giving that can honor God and connect us more closely with him. There’s also a spiritual aspect in receiving. Just […]
When some people pray, they pray expecting God will answer their prayers and good things will happen. When other people pray, they pray expecting there’s only an outside chance God will come through; bad things are bound to happen. When you pray do you expect God to say “yes” or expect him to say “no?” […]
The Great Three in One The prophet Isaiah gives four descriptive names for Jesus. They are Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. However, I tend to think of Jesus as Savior, Healer, Redeemer, and so forth, but not so much the names Isaiah gives. In fact, to me, Wonderful Counselor seems […]
I was recently on LinkedIn and a familiar name from long ago popped up as someone I might know. At least it was a most familiar name, for in this instance my friend’s name was preceded with the word Rabbi. I was intrigued. I knew him through work and hadn’t seen him in twenty years. […]
At a church I recently visited, members shared prayer requests as part of the service. One lady raised her hand and simply said she had an “unspoken request.” Though I’ve not heard that phrase in a long time, it was a common utterance at a church I once attended. It was almost always said by […]
The Connections Between Faith and Writing Last weekend I attended the Festival of Faith and Writing conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Although the words “faith” and “writing” both appear in the conference name, I expected the benefits of attending to be primarily writing related. While my expectations to learn more about the art and craft […]
A good friend was all excited. He had something he couldn’t wait to share. “God revealed something to me,” he announced. “I’ve not yet found it in the Bible, but I know it’s there somewhere.” I completely missed what God had revealed to him because I was so taken aback contemplating his statement. I have […]
Have you ever had someone ask you to “pray hard?” I have. Often it’s for a pressing personal issue or a distressing situation—and they implore me to “pray hard.” When they say this, I think I know what they mean—or at least I hope I do. I think “pray hard” means, “This is serious, so […]
From time to time, I’ve heard people say they’re “in the desert.” They are speaking figuratively, of course, but nevertheless it is a dry place, a barren wilderness, an unhappy situation to be sure. Their desert experience is not a literal place of residence, but a spiritual condition, a state of being. For them, the […]