God’s Invitation
Blessings and Curses
I am beginning to write a book about the Exodus story being our story, too. My thesis is that it is the template that God left us for how we get out of slavery to the world and into the kingdom of God. As I contemplate the passages in these five books of the Bible—Exodus, […]
Speaking with a stronger voice
Eight years ago when I launched this blog I was writing on the same topic as I am today– how to live a life centered in God—but today I write with a stronger voice, a harder-hitting voice. Five years ago we were just beginning to pull out of the recession of 2008, things were beginning […]
Obedience to God Feels Like Freedom
We know exactly what it feels like to be obedient. We toe the line. We do exactly what is expected of us. We follow each and every rule, crossing every “t” and dotting every “I” so that we get it exactly right. This is how we as children had to remember to behave, because it […]
A Lesson from my Marriage
One of the great lessons I learned in 37 years of marriage was this: when Hank was mad at me, I had triggered some memory in him that caused him to react, but that I was not the source of his anger. Inadvertently I might have pushed his buttons, and on some days, maybe I […]
To be Born Again
Wading down into the deeper waters of the Jordan River… Putting himself in John’s hands who would immerse him in the sacred waters…Rising again, soaked and dripping wet…Climbing up the bank…Seeing the heavens torn open and the dove descending…God’s voice coming from heaven: ”You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well […]
Making the Religion Your Own
In the documentary, ”Face to Face with Carl Jung” Part 1, which is available on YouTube, the pioneering Swiss psychiatrist, was asked if he believed in God. Then eighty-four he answered, “That is difficult to answer…I know… I don’t need to believe.” How many of us can say: I know God? I would guess that […]
I am a slow learner
I am a slow learner. It’s taken me years to undo all that my family and the church(hell-fire-and-damnation) and the culture taught me about being in the world and about God. It’s complicated because I was formed by what I was taught about myself and the world and God and, also, how I took what […]
Living the Gospel Truths
As the church loses its prominent place in American society, as we lose membership in many churches, we Christians need to examine what we are doing that contributes to the loss of stature of the church and the religion itself. It is not enough to blame contemporary culture for our reduced status. We Christians have […]