Unexpected Answers
The Bible answers the most important questions we can ask: Where did we come from? What matters? Who can we trust? Who is God? Is he good? Who is Jesus? Why did he die? Did his life end in failure? How...
View ArticleEndless Knowledge
Never before have so many people had access to so much information. With human knowledge doubling every few years and search engines like Google and Yahoo! at our fingertips, the potential for learning...
View ArticleThe Bible and Truth
In all of our lives there are defining moments that come with the realization that our world will never be the same again. Some of these events changed the course of history. We may have been around...
View ArticleInfinitely Interpreted?
While thinking about the goal of Bible reading and study, I rediscovered a quote by George Gopen, an author and university professor known for his expertise in teaching others to write from the...
View ArticleHow Should We Rate this Song?
Does it take a course in music appreciation to read the songs of the Bible? I’m wondering this while reading Psalm 5, knowing that David was a man after God’s own heart; remembering that this song has...
View ArticleBeing True to…
Thanks to those who waded into my last post with helpful concerns, questions, and observations. Let me offer here a shorter take on what I’m asking you to test with me. Once again, am starting with the...
View ArticleThe Bible and Cut Flowers
The words of the Bible can be like cut flowers. The words of Jesus, like the laws of Moses, can be selectively chosen and arranged for anyone’s temporary purposes and enjoyment. But once the words are...
View ArticleWhat Opens the Bible?
Many of my generation grew up being wary of those who see every story of the Bible as being a picture of Jesus. We were warned by our teachers that the practice of typology (i.e. seeing people and...
View ArticleAdam and Jesus
In our last conversation we talked about whether it is helpful to compare and contrast what the Bible says about Samson and Jesus. I raised the issue because I’ve been thinking about the way New...
View ArticleAs the Leaves Fall
When I wrote in my last post about the way time has changed my thinking about the Bible, I was thinking of what has happened as a result of: Listening to the way others interpret or apply the...
View ArticleA Realistic View of the Bible
The Bible pays a price for being one of the most quoted and talked about books in the world. Even those who haven’t read it for themselves often assume they’ve heard enough to know what it’s about. But...
View ArticleThe Mysteries of Rowlings, Christie, and Moses
The news of Harry Potter author, JK Rowlings, showing up as the surprise author of a murder mystery— under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith, has stirred up interest among book lovers. Am thinking,...
View ArticleHow we Read the Story
In considering the idea of bargaining with God, we referred to a moment in Jacob’s life that can be read either as a condition of negotiation, or as a vow of faith. (Gen 28:20-22) Jacob was either at a...
View Article2 Ways to Read the Bible
A friend and co-worker recently passed along some thoughts that he’s had about our natural inclination to miss the big story of the Bible. Jeff, is a licensed counselor who has a deep concern about how...
View ArticleJalapenos and 2013 Nobel Honors
While doing some reading on this year’s prestigious Nobel awards, I bumped into the video of a little boy who insists that jalapeno peppers are not hot. Then I continued reading about the recognition...
View ArticleMandela and the Bible
It’s hard for me to think about how often the Bible was quoted to resist the policies of emancipation for civil rights in the USA, or to support apartheid and to resist Nelson Mandela in South Africa....
View ArticleThe Voice
Happened to bump into the last 3 programs on The Voice television series. Got caught up in the amazing and varied giftedness of the three finalists— that included a 16 year old who performed way beyond...
View ArticleJonah and the Word of God
He was a Jewish prophet who, in the 8th century before Christ, spoke words inspired by God. His name, Jonah, meant “dove”—a bird regarded as a symbol of peace. The Backstory– He was first known as a...
View ArticleStaying with the Story
We need to stay with the story. If we don’t stay with the unfolding drama of the Bible (looking forward to Christ in the first testament—and back to him in the second) we can end up consumed by worry....
View ArticleLiving Letters
In past conversations we have talked about whether quotes of an inspired Bible remain the Word of God no matter how ungracefully or thoughtlessly they are expressed. We may also have observed together...
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