My grandpa was a sharecropper near New Madrid, Missouri. Since that is not a common thing anymore, maybe I should explain what that means. He did not own the land. He was allowed to live and raise a crop on the land. His particular crop was cotton. The owner of the land received a portion… Read More ›
Some things lose a sense of awe through familiarity. I think this is true of Easter. It is a conundrum. I mean, we want to be familiar with the resurrection of Jesus. It permeates everything. The Lord’s Supper breathes the story. We sing it; we pray it; we celebrate it. And once a year there… Read More ›
Who died and made you king? Remember that one? It was something we said when I was a kid, so you would have to be pretty old. One of your friends is getting a tad bossy and you have had enough. It is a basic wondering of where this authority to give you orders came… Read More ›
Okay, along comes this person who says and does things that is contrary to what you believe; what you have accepted your whole life. And the people love him; the people listen with rapt attention to everything that comes out of his mouth. His words and actions stomp all over your traditions. And maybe, there… Read More ›
What are your thoughts about a charity that is actually a front for bilking people out of their money? There is something here that angers us, isn’t there? More so, than when a for profit company that is caught cheating. Both are wrong, to be sure. But it feels different when people are giving money… Read More ›
Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet. Buck up Jeremiah. Judah is getting what they deserve. They are prideful; stiff-necked; rebellious. Years and years of turning their back on God and his holiness. Years and years of sacrificing their babies.
Some moments are, well, momentous. Why do we do weddings? Why rings? Why unity candles? Why end with a kiss? There are a lot of symbols mixed up with this occasion. Symbols intended to add significance; weight. Some think weddings have become obsolete; mere ceremony without real meaning. Why not just set up house together?… Read More ›
Jesus is king! But there are many who refuse to acknowledge his lordship. Its more than that really. They hate the very idea of Jesus being king. They may be okay if he is relegated to a somewhat nice guru. But if he is king, you have to obey him.
When I do a Bible study at the Youth Correction Center, some of the students come because I have snacks or because it is an opportunity to leave the cottage. I have heard several of the youth say, “I hate it when kids come just for the snacks.” I always respond with, “I’m okay with… Read More ›
What does faith look like? Is it a tool to subjugate God to our wants? In the book “Gone with the Wind” Scarlett O’Hara views prayer as a bargaining tool. “I will be good if you keep this bad thing from happening or make this good thing happen.” That sort of thing. And because that… Read More ›