At the Intersection of Theology, Nature, and the Arts
Isaiah 9:1a, 2, 6 and 7; Luke 2:11; Romans 15:4 Hope. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines hope as the wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment or the theological virtue defined as the desire and search for a future good, difficult but not impossible to attain with the help of God. Emily …
“The greatest problems of our time are not technological, for these we handle fairly well. They are not even political or economic, because the difficulties in these areas, glaring as they may be, are largely derivative. The greatest problems are moral and spiritual, and unless we can make some progress in these realms, we may …
Continue reading "Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth"
Sunday's palms are Wednesday's ashes as another Lent begins; Thus we kneel before the Maker in contrition for our sins. We have marred baptismal pledges, in rebellion gone astray; Now returning, seek forgiveness; grant us pardon, God, this day! We have failed to love our neighbors, their offenses to forgive, Have not listened to their …
Richard Foster writes: "Perhaps the greatest malady in the Church today is converts to Christ who are not disciples of Christ--a clear contradiction in terms. This malady affects everything in church life and in large measure accounts for the low level of spiritual nutrients in our local congregations. To counter this sad state of affairs, …
Continue reading "Converts to Christ Who Are Not Disciples of Christ"
I am a staunch advocate for free speech and the free exercise of religion and am appalled at the steady erosion of these long-in-place and long-cherished rights in the United States. Phil Robertson, of Duck Dynasty, recently responded to a question about sin, paraphrasing--what he believes to be--the Word of God. He has been threatened with …
Continue reading "Forcing Conformity While Calling It Tolerance"
James 1:26; 3:1-12 In the early 1970s, comedian George Carlin made headlines across the world with his “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television.” He began the routine by saying, "There are 400,000 words in the English language, and there are seven of them you can't say on television. What a ratio that is: …
Matthew 25:14-30 I used to be a mall rat. Not anymore. Now -- only when absolutely necessary – do I drag myself to one of the mega shopping complexes. Then I run in, get what I need and run out. However . . . Some time ago – as I was running out -- something caught my …
Continue reading "Oscillating Mascaras and Fish-Finding Watches"
John 3:16; Matthew 28:1-6; Ephesians 2:1-10; Romans 6:4 Jesus Christ is risen from the dead! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Christ is alive! And, at the appointed time – in the fullness of time -- trumpets will sound, choirs will sing their alleluias, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed – the …
Pastor Saeed Abedini, a U.S. citizen and ethnic Iranian who returned to Iran, has been imprisoned and tortured there for six months because of his Christian ministry. The prosecutor, in outlining the charges against him, said Abedini had undermined the Iranian government by creating a network of Christian house churches. “This is a real travesty, …
Continue reading "Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians"
Over the last couple of days, self-identifying Atheist Facebookers (not necessarily "card-carrying members," just folks) have been reposting a slam against Christians and the Bible from The Richard Dawkins' Foundation for Reason and Science. Referring to the King James version of the New Testament, the piece asserts that "21st century Christians believe the 'Word of …
DFG Hailson 