Being Christian Without Losing Your Mind
Simon Peter answered, “Lord, where would we go? You have the words of eternal life.” — John 6:68 Here are two quotes that summarize two different ways to approach Jesus. Quote One: The belief that some cosmic Jewish Zombie can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him that you accept him as your …
Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth! — Psalm 8:9 This picture was taken on a beach in St. Joseph, Michigan. It was at sunset. The boats you see aren’t there by accident. An armada of them go out every late afternoon to witness this beauty. Afterward they form a line down a nearby …
When they finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” — John 21:15 There was a competition underlying the relationship between Peter and the unnamed “beloved disciple” in John’s Gospel. Peter envied his …
I have come as a light into the world so that everyone who believes in me won’t live in darkness. — John 12:46 Kate Bowler is a professor at Duke University and wrote a book titled, EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON: And Other Lies I’ve Loved. She described being in stage four colon cancer and facing …
“I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.” — John 13:34-35 I just watched a fascinating documentary on Netflix titled, “Unknown: Cave of Bones” (you can watch the trailer here). Archaeologists explore …
I would really like to believe that the suffering invested in the civil rights movement has paid dividends in putting racism behind us. That is delusional, of course, yet it’s curious that some of the racist stuff we see comes from those who claim it’s not a problem anymore. Instead, racism has evolved into a …
“But what goes out of the mouth comes from the heart. And that’s what contaminates a person in God’s sight.” — Matthew 15:18 Have you ever said something that revealed, unintentionally, what was in your heart? I will confess that one time, decades ago, I told a gay joke among fellow pastors. It was a joke …
Most of the brothers and sisters have had more confidence through the Lord to speak the word boldly and bravely because of my jail time. — Philippians 1:14 The older we get, the easier it becomes to have self-pity. Bad things happen and we respond with the eternal, “Why me?” Paul, though, had a different …
Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. — Genesis 4:8 The famous story of Cain being upset that his offering wasn’t accepted by God but his brother’s was sets the tone for the strife we see throughout …
But Jesus overheard their report and said to the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid; just keep trusting.” — Mark 5:36 If you read Mark 5:21-43, you get a clear picture of both Jesus’ compassion as well as faith. The synagogue leader had come to Jesus asking him to heal his daughter. However, word came that …