Holiness Turned

Psalm 52:8 says, “But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever.” One of the early church fathers – I can’t remember which one and I don’t have the time or inclination to try to find out – claimed that this Psalm was allegorically stating that virginity was the highest calling within Christianity. Continue reading

Constructing

Some people approach serving God as if they are negotiating a work agreement. God says, “Serve me!” The perspective servant replies, “Alright. I get two days off a week. I don’t do windows. Any work I do will need to be under the creative license clause I have submitted for your perusal. All praise and glory of work accomplished is mine by copyright law. Continue reading

Preparation and Change

Not too long ago, I told my mom that she and my dad could come and live with us. This was not the first time the offer had been made and I really didn’t expect her to jump all over it. The North Dakota winters scare her. But if they were out of options and they decided to come here, we would have to prepare for them to move in. Continue reading

Heart Response

Some people are fairly jaded when it comes to the generosity of others; always questioning motives; always assuming evil intent. Was that large financial gift a mere tax right off? Or was it seeking after the praise of others? Or maybe it was motivated by sheer guilt; an attempt to assuage their own tattered conscience. And when ulterior motives are assigned to others is this a deflection; an attempt to detract attention from one’s own lack of generosity? The reality is that sometimes people give with evil motives. Continue reading

Sabbath Thread

You’ve seen the cartoons where someone or something pulls on a thread and everything unravels. Like that one thread holds everything together; whether it be a sweater or the very fabric of the universe. One strand rules them all. Ah, a Lord of the Rings reference. But kind of like that. There are threads in the Bible; concepts that run through, intertwining and holding things together. Love is like that. Continue reading

All Aglow

You tell your friends about this amazing movie; a movie that moved you in significant ways. Maybe it gave you a different perspective on the suffering of the oppressed. Your friends go to see the movie and you excitedly ask them how it was. They respond with an “ehh, it was okay.” What? How can they not feel the significance? Continue reading

Intensifying the Rules

So, your newly licensed teenager is asking to borrow the family car. They have been responsible; they have passed the test; they seem generally trustworthy. You go over some ground rules – like obeying those inconvenient signs that want you to drive 25 miles an hour within residential areas along with all manner of driving laws. Operating a vehicle comes with a huge responsibility. And on their maiden trip into the brave new world of being a license bearing driver, they drive where you told them not to drive and receive a ticket for ignoring those annoying speed limit signs. Continue reading

More Than Fair

Has it ever hit you? You deserve death! Okay, most of us walk around believing that we are descent people; somehow deserving life. O sure, we’ll give lip service to grace. We know – because it is found throughout the Bible – that we are saved because God is gracious. But deserving of death? We say it, but I’m not sure we feel it. I may lie on occasion, but I haven’t killed anyone. I might rationalize away the whole obeying the laws of the land or giving to Caesar what belongs to Caesar thing, but I haven’t tortured anyone. Continue reading

The Face of God

In Stephen King’s short story “The Jaunt” a family is preparing to travel to another planet via teleportation. Everyone will be administered a drug that will render them completely unconscious. The reason: they had discovered that every person, without fail, who made the trip while awake arrived in the other location completely insane, and most were catatonic. This family has a precocious twelve year old boy who is curious and sincerely believes himself smart enough to handle whatever it is that causes ordinary people to go insane. Continue reading

With or Without You

Imagine there was this man who was completely underappreciated within his family. His wife barely acknowledged his presence. His children refused to listen and lived in a constant state of rebellion. Both trampled over his presence as if they were in a grape stomping party. So, one day he calls his family together and informs them that he quit; that he was out of there; that he was done being a part of this family. Continue reading