The Easter season has begun! Yes, that’s right, Easter is more than just one day on the church calendar. In fact, Easter is a season that lasts for fifty days (7 Sundays) and culminates in the celebration of Pentecost. Have you ever noticed that all four Gospel accounts tell us that women were the first to discover the empty tomb …
I Think Like Judas And That’s a Problem
A few years ago, a church in my town built a huge new building. HUGE. I scoffed at their extravagance and complained about the expense. To make matters worse, I only agreed with 95% of this church’s theology. Until we were seeing eye-to-eye on all things theological, I felt free to judge how they spent their money. In hindsight, I …
God Is Wasteful
I try not to be wasteful. I try not to buy too much food at the grocery store and I take leftovers home from restaurants. We have a section of our laundry room dedicated to “give-aways,” the clothes and other things we can’t use any more, but which might be useful to our favorite charity’s thrift shop. Although I love …
Suffering and Solutions
The question of why people suffer is a longstanding existential question. It is a question that brings people to God and it’s a question that makes some people doubt God’s very existence. Why do bad things happen to good people? The Bible approaches this from several angles. That frustrates some people, but I find it encouraging. I like that the …
What If God Is Not a Puzzle For You to Solve?
Do you like to do puzzles? My father was a master at doing puzzles. He had the patience to find the flat edged pieces first and then organize the rest by color. Actually, he had a great lifehack for puzzle assembly. He laid a science fair backboard on the table and assembled his puzzle on that. When he wanted to …
The Problem With Having It All
Have you ever really, really wanted something, only to realize when you got it that it wasn’t all you expected or hoped? When I was about 11 years old, I begged my parents for a pair of white roller skates. I know I begged because … well, because I was quite precocious and demanding. Life and maturity have softened some …
A Safety Net in the Midst of Chaos
Do you ever feel like life is chaotic? When things in my life are calm and peaceful, I only have to watch the news for a few minutes to be immersed in the chaos of our times. In the midst of the chaos it can feel like God is distant. It can feel like everything is bad, everything is hard, …
Am I Selfish With God?
I have been giddy about God since the first moment I really understood God’s unconditional love. Not that I understand it completely, but once I got a glimpse of it, I was forever changed. I also found it easier to talk honestly about God from that moment on; I felt like I actually had something to say. It’s tempting to …
What Captivates Me?
Jesus preaches release to the captives and this is good news because I’m a captive. I don’t like to think of myself that way. I much prefer thinking of myself as an independent person. I value my freedom. I’m proud that freedom and liberty are core values in my country’s founding documents. And yet, I have to admit, there are …
God Makes the First Move
I think there are times when I don’t give God enough credit. In fact, I’m sure of it. I forget there’s no such thing as a “self-made” Christian. I forget that God always makes the first move. God goes first, I go second. God reaches out, I respond. I rarely describe anything in the Bible as clear or plain, but …