Our Faith
Toward an understanding of the atonement
For several years now, I’ve been leading a Sunday school class that’s made up largely of ladies older than me, which means it’s difficult to find lessons that will challenge them. They are usually a step ahead of me, to the point that I often consider the point of the lesson to just ask them […]
Don’t let self-doubt stop you
In our Lenten studies at church, I led a group of about 30 people in a study designed to help them discover their purpose. In our last lesson, we talked about how doubt can often block us from moving forward. I shared about how writers often live in a tension between believing we’ve written works […]
Doing Lent differently
I’ve never been one for giving up things for Lent, because I didn’t understand the point. Someone once told me it was to emulate Jesus’ 40 days of preparation. Really? We emulate Jesus’ preparation for the cross by giving up coffee or chocolate? Really? For a long time, I’ve seen giving things up for Lent […]
Buried treasure: in clay jars or tin cans
A remarkable story came out of California this week: a couple found a cache of gold coins buried on their property. The coins date to the state’s Gold Rush era, so their value far exceeds their $27,000 face value. Because of their rarity, they may fetch $10 million or more when sold to collectors, according […]
What exactly is a stumbling block?
The old alcohol debate was raised this week on Facebook by Ben Erlichman, who by his own admission was looking to stir up controversy. Participants in the conversation broadly aligned with one of two camps, which I sum up this way: Position A: The Bible doesn’t forbid drinking, only getting drunk Position B: If you […]
Fighting the Right Enemy
Writing can be a lonely task even if you’ve joined arms with other writers who understand you. As such, we are often prone to fits of discouragement which stall our progress. One of the things we tell couples in marriage counseling is to fight the right enemy. My spouse isn’t my enemy (and even if […]
Christmas isn’t over
The decorations at our house finally went up December 22, and they won’t come down until January 6. Liturgically, the Advent season begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. Culturally, “Christmas” starts the day after Halloween and ends as soon as the wrapping paper is dumped in the recycle bin. Liturgically, Christmas […]
