The Christmas celebration is over, at least with regard to the pre-holiday busy-ness and the family gatherings. We've sung the songs, wrapped the presents, feasted on the special foods, given the gifts, and (hopefully) thought some about the "reason for the...
It happens . . . it seems that it's a regular, yearly, occurrence. A lot of people who don't go to church throughout the year or wouldn't sing about Jesus will acquiesce to doing that one day year–they will go to church for Christmas. They'll show up, they'll sing,...
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul talks about the growth that comes in the Christian life. He explains that some ministry is like sowing seed, some is like watering plants, but it is God who brings the growth (1 Corinthians 3:5–9). Thus, in one sense, all...
For those of us who are somewhat familiar with the Gospels' accounts of Jesus, we can end up feeling slightly underwhelmed by what we see in those accounts as we read. It's been said that "familiarity breeds contempt"–and there is some truth in that. But the other...
So many Bible study books, with long chapters and multiplied “principles,” imply you need to master some specific content before you can feel confident that you could actually read the Bible. It’s not that there aren’t principles to be learned, but too often the...
In her book Every Patient Tells a Story (New York: Broadway Books, 2009), Dr. Lisa Sanders addresses a number issues related to the “art of diagnosis”—exploring how doctors’ experience, training, and intuition aid them in rightly solving the most challenging of...
We are in the season of Easter—the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. That truth, that reality, is central to the Christian message of “good news;” it is at the heart of the Gospel. (See how Paul underscored that in 1 Corinthians 15:12–19.) But...
In her book Every Patient Tells a Story (New York: Broadway Books, 2009), Dr. Lisa Sanders addresses a number issues related to the “art of diagnosis”—exploring how doctors’ experience, training, and intuition aid them in rightly solving the most challenging of...
In his fascinating book The Glass Cage (NY: Norton, 2014), Nicholas Carr explores how automation and computer assistance across a variety of endeavors can leave users “de-skilled.” The idea? The more our tools do for us, the less attentive, the less thoughtful, the...
Sadly, I have caught myself doing it. When opening up the Bible and discussing a passage with someone I can find myself saying something like: What Jesus was trying to say . . .What God tried to communicate . . .What the Spirit was attempting to convey . . . And I...
