My friend, Robin, alerted me to this great article by Sam Wells in the journal Cresset: http://thecresset.org/2013/Easter/Wells_E2013.htmlIt’s titled “Rethinking Service,” and there are two issues in particular he raises that I think are really important and interesting for both individual Christians and the church today. The first is the question of what the current “problem”…… Continue reading God "with," not "for"
Rejecting the Dead?
Did you see/hear this story on NPR? http://www.npr.org/2013/05/06/181678766/in-boston-a-rare-rejection-of-the-deadThe body of suspected Boston bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev languishes in a funeral home because no cemetery will accept it for burial. Interestingly enough, the story quickly notes that this impetus for “justice” and punishment is an old one, and it begins with the following example: “The notion that…… Continue reading Rejecting the Dead?
The Power of "Story-truth" for Understanding the Bible
A post in 50 words or less:Read this little piece, from a great website you should be reading regularly: http://www.betterlivingthroughbeowulf.com/?p=17399And then think more deeply and creatively about what it means when we say something is “true” in the context of our faith! [More Christians should think about this when reading Scripture!!]
My Bright Abyss
I was at Virginia Tech last weekend as the visiting theologian [sponsored by Luther Memorial Lutheran Church], and I got to spend some time with the college students there. They were GREAT–mostly engineering majors, actually, with one interesting organic farmer-to-be and a few other majors, too–none religion. They all were very active in the campus…… Continue reading My Bright Abyss
The Problem of "Race" when it comes to Religion
The category of “race” is becoming more and more problematic as it becomes more and more outdated–soon, one hopes, it will be nothing more than a relic of history, a way we used to talk about and categorize people that no longer serves any constructive purpose. While there may be some advantages to the category,…… Continue reading The Problem of "Race" when it comes to Religion
What’s Wrong with April?
In case you haven’t noticed, April seems to be a particularly cruel month: the Columbine High School shootings [April 20th, 1999]; the Oklahoma City bombing [April 19th, 1995]; the Virginia Tech shootings [April 16th, 2007]; and now the Boston Marathon bombing. What’s wrong with April? My birthday is April 19th, so I always think about…… Continue reading What’s Wrong with April?
Daffodils and Doubting Thomas
It’s April, but it doesn’t quite feel like spring yet. Sure–spring is coming–everyone knows that, but it’s still more like a promise than a reality at this point, which I have found quite discouraging of late. But, today, this poem by Wordsworth came in my inbox; and as I was leaving for church this morning…… Continue reading Daffodils and Doubting Thomas
The Stories We Tell
Today is Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week, which most Christians deem the holiest week of the Christian calendar. [I don’t want to get into an Easter vs. Christmas debate here, but let me just go on record as saying I think more theological importance should be vested in the incarnation, which has…… Continue reading The Stories We Tell
"Far From the Tree"
For the past few weeks, I have been reading the most interesting book: Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity, by Andrew Solomon. We talked about it today in the Introduction to Systematics course, where we had a great discussion regarding about issues of Christian anthropology, so I decided to…… Continue reading "Far From the Tree"
The Strange New World of Pope Francis I
Here’s how I found out about the new pope. I was working at my computer yesterday afternoon and I thought I would check The New York Times to see if there was any news [not really expecting anything]. Immediately I saw what the world had seen: white smoke, but no announcement yet. So, I went…… Continue reading The Strange New World of Pope Francis I
Happy Lutheran 