Canned bread. Bread in a can… I did not believe that such a thing as a canned bread existed until someone showed it to me in their cupboard. Apparently, B&M – a Portland, Maine, based company – manufactures and cans this stuff. There are plenty of people here in New England who love it. They eat… Read More »
Mormonism is Not Orthodox Christianity
Many Christian apologists who answer Mormon doctrine do so on the basis of looking deep into their lesser known beliefs and pointing out that there is some wild stuff going on there. For example, Joseph Smith taught that Methuselah and Abraham used the urim and the thummim as magical telescopes to discover the star Kolob,… Read More »
God Made You Beautiful
My daughter turned nine last month. She is one crazy, smart, rhythmic kid. She got all of the best of both parents, and I have no doubt that when she grows into womanhood she is going to be outrageously, stunningly beautiful. This is both a source of great joy and unholy terror. I know how… Read More »
Reading an Antitheist Former Pastor's Blog
I have taken to reading Bruce Gerencser’s blog. Bruce is a former pastor who left the pastorate in 2003, the church in 2008 and theism in 2011. He is an open and vocal antitheist who has no problem attacking Christianity, the church and individual believers. You might ask why I would read such a thing? Because… Read More »
A Crazy, Connected World
I was sitting at my computer, making stupid jokes on people’s status updates when I realized that I have a web of interlocking relationships that baffle my mind. FACT: I met our music director and his wife when they were in 11th grade at a Christian school and then reconnected with them twelve years later… Read More »
King of Hopelessness, pt 4 (1:19-22)
וַתֵּלַכְנָה שְׁתֵּיהֶם עַד־בֹּאָנָה בֵּית לָחֶם וַיְהִי כְּבֹאָנָה בֵּית לֶחֶם וַתֵּהֹם כָּל־הָעִיר עֲלֵיהֶן וַתֹּאמַרְנָה הֲזֹאת נָעֳמִי׃ וַתֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶן אַל־תִּקְרֶאנָה לִי נָעֳמִי קְרֶאןָ לִי מָרָא כִּי־הֵמַר שַׁדַּי לִי מְאֹד׃ אֲנִי מְלֵאָה הָלַכְתִּי וְרֵיקָם הֱשִׁיבַנִי יְהוָה לָמָּה תִקְרֶאנָה לִי נָעֳמִי וַיהוָה עָנָה בִי וְשַׁדַּי הֵרַע לִי׃ וַתָּשָׁב נָעֳמִי וְרוּת הַמּוֹאֲבִיָּה כַלָּתָהּ עִמָּהּ הַשָּׁבָה מִשְּׂדֵי מוֹאָב וְהֵמָּה בָּאוּ בֵּית… Read More »
Informal Church?
USA Today reported last week on the trend toward churches going “informal” as if this is a recent event. This is a trend that has been going on for the past forty years, and if you include the insanity of bus ministry, even longer. At our congregation, we are very casual but we still have… Read More »
The Creation Story of Genesis 1 as a "Temple Image"?
Out of Ur recently posted this video of Peter Enns asking readers’ questions to N.T. Wright. It is not secret that I find Wright a very thought provoking writer and thinker, so I was intrigued to hear what he had to say. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxQpFosrTUk] I’m not completely convinced that Wright gets everything right (sorry, unavoidable pun)… Read More »
A Thought on Evangelism
One reason why Christianity has been the most successful of all world religions in crossing cultural boundaries is its adaptability. To be sure, this has not been manifested in all places and at all times, some missionary endeavors have been based on the premise that any rival belief system is of the devil and must… Read More »
Thoughts on Islam and Religious Freedom
Skye Jethani has some good things to say about freedom of religion and the way Islam is sometimes mischaracterized.
