Picture by unknown author copyrighted under Creative Commons (BY-SA-NC) One of the favorite stories of the Old Testament has to be the flood and Noah’s faithfulness to God in building an ark. The death of all human life except for those on a single boat is quite grim, but the pictures in children’s nurseries always…
One of the best known, and best loved stories of the Bible is David and Goliath. Who doesn’t love an underdog? A young man (boy? The Hebrew term is imprecise) takes on a much more powerful veteran soldier and wins. The “good guys” are victorious. There’s so much to love about this story. A common…
It’s that time of year when the temporary fireworks stands pop up all over the place, and people start reflecting on America’s history, and what freedom means. This year even more so than usual, as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. Shockingly, most Americans today truly do not understand freedom. You would think in a country…
I have grown up with Mormon friends, and today live in a neighborhood dominated by Mormons. My kids go to school with lots of Mormons. And a good friend of our congregation, who is a regular at some of our events, is a Mormon. So while I’ve never studied Mormon theology, I know enough to…
Many Christians today feel stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to immigration. They don’t like anyone breaking the law, to include those who come to our country illegally. But they also don’t like seeing moms and dads who contribute to their community being handcuffed and hauled off to “Alligator Alcatraz”,…
Wesleyanism is the branch of the Church that draws its roots from the brothers John and Charles Wesley in the latter half of the 18 th century. They themselves were proud Anglicans, though influenced by their Puritan mother. The Methodists where the first branch from the ministry of the Wesleys, but many others followed, particularly…
A big question today is What does it mean to be a man? This is not a simple question. Answering What does it mean to be human? is actually simpler. So, with the caveat that I cannot possibly give this question the attention it deserves in a short blog, I’m going to take a stab…
Easter reminds us that Jesus was not just a yogi, guru, shaman, wise man, or prophet. Easter is about the historical fact of the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you do not believe He did that, He can’t help you. Remove what He did from what He said, and His words are no better…
We are living in uncertain times. But you knew that already. I didn’t have to tell you. It seems the world is in upheaval. Not only is there war in Ukraine, but also in Iran. The tariffs are off and on again. One minute we’re getting ready to invade Greenland, and the next we’re not.…
If you’re not Catholic or Anglican, you probably only have a vague idea of what Lent is. Lent is a 40-day season of preparation for Easter (which parallels Advent, the 4-week preparation for Christmas). It is a time of penitence (repenting), and the 40 days reminds us of the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in…