Category Archives: theology

Editorials, Food for Thought, theology

A Videoed Apology

Matthew CordleYou probably saw it – Matthew Cordle staring into a camera admitting to a drunk driving accident that resulted in the death of a 61 year old man.

It’s extraordinary, if only because of it’s honesty.  Most people would enter a not-guilty plea.  Court would convene and lots of money would be spent trying to get a guilty person pronounced innocent of the crime.

The daughter of the slain man was credited with saying that she didn’t buy it.  That he was just trying to get his sentence reduced.  The only problem with her judgment is that the motives of a person are never within human view.  You can guess what they are, but it’s only a guess.  Only God has the seat in the stands where one can see a person’s motives. Continue reading A Videoed Apology →

Editorials, Food for Thought, theology

Freedom!

Freedom

Lots of words come to mind when “freedom” is used.

Probably the most common associations with freedom are words that have to do with government.  Autonomy, emancipation, independence, laissez-faire, liberty, power, self-governed, and a host of “un” words such as unfettered are good examples.  People who live under the reign of despots such as Kim Jung Il of North Korea are not considered to have freedom.  Continue reading Freedom! →

Editorials, Food for Thought, LifeSpring, LifeSpring Church, theology

Don’t confuse me with the facts.

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Good Samaritan

I grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. The hometown of my youth had segregated schools, racially separated water fountains, entrances to the local theater separated according to race, and sitting in the back of the bus if you were black. It was a big deal when LR Central High School integrated, and a cultural sea change began.

It’s no surprise to me that formal debates were a common means for taking on your opponents and proving them wrong. My parents would take me to religious debates at a large local auditorium. The air was charged like at a high school football game. The object was not to learn something new but rather to crush your opponent and make him look like a fool.
Continue reading Don’t confuse me with the facts. →

Food for Thought, Life in general, LifeSpring, LifeSpring Church, theology

My name is legion.

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Image I lived in Minnesota in the 70’s when the movie, The Exorcist, made its debut on American screens. The movie terrified audiences, and some people even imagined being stalked by demons trying to capture their lives.

When I first started working on the sermon I will deliver on February 24, my mind floated to that movie and Linda Blair’s head doing a 360. I concluded long ago that the movie only trivialized the possibilities for evil in this world. And the greatest evil is not something that makes your head spin, but rather which causes you to hate everything that is noble and beautiful. Continue reading My name is legion. →

Food for Thought, theology

Dirk Willems and Forgiveness

In 1569 during the rise of the Dutch republic, an Anabaptist named Dirk Willems was being held in jail because of his association with an unapproved religious group. He was able to escape from his captors but the guard closely pursued him across a frozen pond.

It was late in the winter, and the ice had thinned, making it unsafe. Fortunately Willems was able to make it across the lake in safety. But the guard was not so fortunate, and the ice gave way beneath him, plunging the pursuer into the icy water. Continue reading Dirk Willems and Forgiveness →

Food for Thought, Life in general, theology

Choices We Make

Bosch's HellHell is, pardon the pun, a hot topic these days.

The lightening rod that put the topic of Hell on our collective front page was Rob Bell’s new book, Love Wins. The book made the pages of local newspapers, news magazines, and religious journals. Some were comforted by its message, and others were downright mad about it. Continue reading Choices We Make →

Food for Thought, Life in general, service, theology

Divine Abundance

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Feeding the 5000If you’ve ever shopped at Nordstrom’s, you know you’ve had an extraordinary experience, especially if you needed additional service or even a refund.

A former Nordstroms employee told these customer service stories. A customer tried to return pants that had clearly been worn for an extended amount of time, but was still given a refund. In another case, Nordstrom split two pairs of shoes in order to fit a man with different sized feet. There are also plenty of stories about Nordstrom employees who have personally delivered items to customers’ homes. Continue reading Divine Abundance →

Editorials, Food for Thought, theology

What, me worry?

Alfred E NeumanIn November 1954, Alfred E. Neuman made his Mad Magazine debut on the front cover of The Mad Reader. The iconic figure was known for his comic book caption, “What, me worry?”

There are times when anyone wishes that s/he could share some of Neuman’s cavalier, no worries approach to life. This is especially true in an age that is dominated with catastrophic financial news, wars, and other issues that bring boat loads of worry. Continue reading What, me worry? →

Editorials, Food for Thought, theology

It all starts with hermeneutics.

HermeneuticsOn our street in Kentucky was a sign that said, “Caution Slow Children.” My wife and I would occasionally chuckle about it and say something like, “We should be cautious because there are slow children on this street.” Or we would debate if the slowness was mental or physical.

Of course the word “slow” wasn’t a modifier of “children.” It was simply telling drivers to be careful and to slow down. The process of figuring out what “slow” meant is called hermeneutics, and it simply means interpretation. Continue reading It all starts with hermeneutics. →

Editorials, Food for Thought, theology

When God bought a tent

Texts read in churches these days often have to do with the birth and infancy of Jesus. The writer of the Gospel of John went back farther than that – when the birth of Jesus was just an idea in God’s mind.

What John says about Jesus was and is extraordinary. He was in the beginning with God. He was God. Nothing exists that he didn’t have a part in creating. The effect of his life was to bring life and light to humanity. People who accept him and his claims are given power to become part of God’s family. Continue reading When God bought a tent →