This category contains short essays on a wide variety of topics centered on the questions: Is Christianity reasonable, and if so, What does living faithfully to Jesus' teachings look like in the 21st century?

Unplanned destinations

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people." —Genesis 50:20 (NLT)Joseph was the first human to be ghosted. His brothers didn't like him, so they sold him to slave traders, told their father, Jacob, he'd ... Continue reading

Trust vs. faith

I've been thinking about what I mean when I say that I trust God. My money says "In God we trust," which I think is intended as a moral lesson teaching that money shouldn't be foundation of life. I'm not sure how effective the message is. When I say that I trust in God, or I have put my trust in ... Continue reading

Convince me

"[The rich man] answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'"'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if ... Continue reading

Respite

We've had several weeks of typical Tucson summer heat, where the temps reach 105 or more and we stay indoors as much as possible. The extreme heat and lack of water stresses the wildlife, and I've noticed especially the lack of activity among the birds, who do their best to find shade and slow ... Continue reading

Make it so

"This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.'" — Matthew 6:9-10 (NIV)When Starship Captain Jean-Luc Picard gives an order, he often uses the phrase "Make is so." This phrase seems to have ... Continue reading

Does God care?

Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” —Mark 4:38 (NLT)There are these things that overwhelm us in life. Overwhelm: to engulf, to crush, to devastate. These things are huge, ... Continue reading

Gimme a little credit

I volunteered my time to a local group of creatives to produce a video of their latest production. One of their company, who attends my church, asked for my help and I happily agreed.I agreed because I wanted to support what they're doing. I agreed because I knew I could produce a quality ... Continue reading

Choose wisely

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ... Continue reading