Sometimes we can open the Bible and find clear direction regarding the day to day decisions we face. But what about those decisions that Scripture doesn’t directly address? In 1 Corinthians, Paul shares five guiding principles that will help us discern the rightness or wrongness of a particular behavior. Thanks to Dr. John Marshall for…
Category: Spiritual Formation
What’s Up With Deconstruction?
A friend sent me an article today from the Mere Orthodoxy website asking my thoughts about the current trend of theological deconstruction that is becoming prevalent in evangelical communities of faith. The author, Skyler Flowers, does an appreciable job of attempting to develop categories that sort the conversation, albeit akin to nailing jello to the…
There is One Sin
“There is one sin: to call a green leaf grey, Whereat the sun in heaven shuddereth.” — G.K. Chesterton This quote was cited by Lynn Anderson in his book Talking Back to God, as he described walking through his cancer diagnosis and the accompanying ‘dark night of the soul.’ When I read it, it leaped…
Don’t Look Back
Many years ago I engaged a church member in a conversation about an obscure verse found in Luke 17:32. The verse simply read, “Remember Lot’s wife.” These words were spoken by Jesus in the context of a teaching he was giving about his return. The original hearer would have heard the phrase and recalled the…
Perspective Matters
Once there was a man who walked alone down a dark street late at night. Out of nowhere appeared a man who was wearing a mask and carrying a knife. The masked man cut the man and took all of his money. A passerby found the man lying on the sidewalk and called an ambulance….
Getting Right Sized
Last week I was standing on the sand of the Pacific Ocean. While children played in the sand and surfers tried to catch a wave I watched as the sun began to set in the western horizon. The noise of the ocean was deafening, repeating the same cadence over and over. As I stood on…
When Life Feels Random
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a…
Let Go And Let God
“Let go and let God” is bad theology, right beside other ‘fridge magnets like “God helps those who help themselves” and “God won’t give you anything you can’t handle on your own.” When people say “let go and let God,” I think they mean that they are facing a situation that is beyond their control…
Casting Shadows
This week I spent some time preparing a meditation on the Old Testament story of Ruth. Nestled in the first half of the OT, Ruth is generally interpreted as a sweet love story. The reader is introduced to the main character who is grief stricken over the passing of her husband. She and her sister…
Bruised Reeds and Smoldering Wicks
“Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle….
