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
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?
Strained mercy
April 26, 2023 By Leave a Comment
"The quality of mercy is not strained;It droppeth as the gentle rain from heavenUpon the place beneath. It is twice blest;It blesseth him that gives and him that takes..."It is an attribute to God himself;And earthly power doth then show likest God'sWhen mercy seasons justice." —William ... Continue reading
Great mysteries and hidden things revealed
April 16, 2023 By 1 Comment
At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way."My ... Continue reading
Apostles’ Creed: Conceived by the Holy Spirit
April 12, 2023 By Leave a Comment
"I believe in Jesus Christ... who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. —The Apostles' CreedLuke sets up the story of Jesus' conception in the first chapter:God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be ... Continue reading
After Easter
April 10, 2023 By Leave a Comment
Some events change the world. When Hitler's tanks rolled into France, there was no longer any way to pretend that his ambitions could be contained or satisfied by a limited European conflict. When airliners brought down the New York twin towers, we knew that the ambitions of Islamic terrorists could ... Continue reading
A foundation built on rock
April 8, 2023 By Leave a Comment
My son and I are building a porch at the back of our home, anticipating the coming summer and our need for more shade. My wife likes to sit out back with the dogs, but the heat starts to get pretty oppressive come May. By June it can be intolerable.The first step in a project like this is to ... Continue reading
A curse broken, a promise kept
March 31, 2023 By Leave a Comment
Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt. —Zechariah 9:9 (NLT)There was unimaginable joy in Chicago when the Cubs broke their 108-year dry ... Continue reading
Peter answers Herod’s question: Who is this guy?
March 24, 2023 By Leave a Comment
One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”Then he asked them, “But who do ... Continue reading
