The Lord our God spoke unto us in Horeb, saying, You have dwelt long enough in this mount: Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all …
50 Days to Pentecost
The listeners to our one station in the British Isles will know Pentecost as “Whitsunday” (White Sunday, that is.) from the custom of the newly-baptized wearing white. I was surprised on a visit to London …
The Minor Prophets #4 - Amos
In the days of the Old Testament prophets, the gate of the city was like the county courthouse used to be. It was where the courts were but also where most business was conducted. It …
The Minor Prophets #3 - Amos
Therefore flight shall perish before the swift, and the strong will not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself: neither shall he stand who handles the bow; and he that is swift of …
The Minor Prophets #2 - Amos
When men forget God their society heads for ruin. And so, at critical junctures, here comes a prophet to call us to our senses. That’s the good news—the prophet comes. The bad news is that …
The Minor Prophets #1 - Amos
I can’t help wondering why Christians don’t read the Old Testament more than they do. Of course, I guess I could raise the same question regarding the New Testament. Some Christians just don’t read their …
The Book of Ruth
One of the first questions the scholars tend to ask is, Who wrote this book and when was it written? The Talmud refers to Samuel as the author of Ruth, but scholars, generally speaking, say: …
Three Days and Three Nights
I love a good mystery. Puzzle solving is a favorite pastime of mine. So perhaps I can be forgiven for saying in a recent radio program that God also loves a mystery. Sometimes of course, …
Progressive Christianity
If there is a real and mortal danger for Christians, it is that we will try to make God over into our own image. It is not new. It has been in every age of …
A Non-Christian Easter
How much we take for granted. Every year the Easter season comes around with Palm Sunday, followed by Good Friday, followed by Easter Sunday. And each Easter has the sunrise service, new bonnets, Easter eggs, …
Who Killed Christ?
When the Pope viewed Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of Jesus Christ, he is said to have remarked, It is as it was. The Vatican later tried to spin that remark to bring it back …
The Reality of Christ
Years ago a friend told me what I was. Most of us have had that experience at one time or another. If not who we are, at least where we can go. My friend told …
Recycling the Planet
In the scientific and political debate surrounding global warming, let’s see if we can get one thing straight—one thing everyone with knowledge has to agree with: The earth we walk on is a temporary phenomenon …
The Green Bible
Recently I was introduced to The Green Bible at a local library. I was amazed and thought it was very inspirational. I personally do not think that The Green Bible is a “New Age” concept. …
Stay with Me
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.When other helpers fail and comforts flee,Help of the helpless, O abide with me. It is an old, familiar friend, this hymn. There’s …
No Longer Useful
Why do they send mothers to jail for killing newborn babies? It happens all the time: babies are left in toilets, thrown into dumpsters, or otherwise disposed of; and if they can prove who the …
You Must Not Be Afraid
I have a sense that a lot of us are frightened these days. It isn’t the hair-raising fear that gives us an adrenaline rush. It is the slow dread that creeps up on us in …
How to Prepare for the Worst
I am struck by how different the world is today from what it was just a year ago. It seems strange to talk about it this way, because the sun still shines, the rain falls, …
How to Live in Hard Times
Hard times can bring out the best in us. Earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, depressions, and even war can change us for the better. In the good times, though, we often rot away at our center. The …
Out of Darkness
I find it impossible to criticize a woman like Mother Teresa of Calcutta. You can’t find ulterior motives in the life of someone who gives their live in service of the poorest of the poor—living …