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4 Truths to Overcome Fear
We can learn a lot of things from our experience with the novel coronavirus and how it has affected our lives. We can learn the value of considering others as more important than ourselves as we choose to let self-sacrifice win over self-centeredness. We can learn how to be creative during our “shelter in place” time. We are learning how to love our neighbors from six feet away whenever we are able to do so. We’ve repeatedly scrubbed our hands, sprayed doorknobs and light switches with Lysol, worn gloves to go to the grocery store and wiped down every item brought into our house, and disinfected even our mail. And,…
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Believing and Living
The Revised Common Lectionary for Sunday, March 29th, spotlights Jesus’ restoration of Lazarus to life. This amazing account, as recorded in John 11, offers believers timely hope amid an ongoing global pandemic. As Jesus’ prospect of suffering and death grew closer, He returned to the area of Jerusalem. Though the religious establishment spurned Him (10:39), His closest followers loved Him. Even rejection and scorn could not dim the glory of the Messiah as displayed through the restoration of Lazarus to life, a miracle that likely occurred in the winter of AD 29. The record of the above incident is important, for it serves as an undisputed, confirming sign of the…
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Bode Miller and Grief
Watching the Olympic Super-G last night the commentators were focused on Bode Miller as the last few skiers bumped him from the Gold. After the race, the interviewer quickly breezed by the Silver Medalist to Miller. She noticed some deep emotion and began to probe. Something significant was going on and she noticed. Kudos for that. She then asked questions and never let him answer. The moment and her questions were triggering something much deeper but his processing was cut short by more words. (Photo courtesy of USA Today, (NBC Screenshot)) Maybe Miller's emotion caught her off guard. Maybe the fact that he was speechless, overwhelmed by emotion and grief…
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Advent, The Incarnation and Handel’s Messiah
A few short days from American Thanksgiving and we are full speed ahead into the Christmas season – into Advent, the “coming” or “arrival”. Celebrating the coming of Jesus Christ to earth is exactly what Christmas is about. Something dramatic happened, an event that changed the trajectory of human history. In the midst of fast lane pressure, press of crowds and shouts of bargains let’s pause, catch our breath and consider. A son was born. God took on human flesh relinquishing properties of deity. God became man and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory – the incarnation. Hardly a casual thing to say so easily – it was…
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A Christian Conservative Goes to College, part 16 (World Religions Class: Silent No More)
“…knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel…” (Philippians 1:16, NIV). When asked, “How can we foster the encounter of people with Jesus Christ?” C.S. Lewis replied as follows: “You can’t lay down any pattern for God. There are many different ways of bringing people into His kingdom…. As Christians we are tempted to make unnecessary concessions to those outside the Faith. We give in too much. Now, I don’t mean that we should run the risk of making a nuisance of ourselves by witnessing at improper times, but there comes a time when we must show that we disagree. We must show our Christian colours…
