We live in a brave new world, one that ignores more than opposes God. He’s rarely part of the landscape, not a normal topic of discussion. In an industry that once frequently alluded to him (East of Eden, the novel by Steinbeck and the movie for just one example), few movies refer to God at all. And, rather than rail against the lack, maybe we can graciously insert a God awareness into our culture. We’ve all seen…
Read MoreHope for Today?
Our times oppress us. The war in Ukraine wages on, with news of the first American joining thousands of civilians and soldiers. We’ve seen Mariupol flattened, hospitals bombed. Our country seems in free fall, with inflation and partisanship and violence growing.
Increasing secularism pushes the practice of faith to the periphery. Radicals killed more Christians, for being Christians, in the last century than all combined. A climate scientist just stated that some climate changes may be beyond the point of reversal. You can add your own personal list of concerns.
And many Facebook friends bemoan current conditions, conveying a sense that nothing can be done.
They may be right.
And I don’t…
Read MoreStructure?
I’m embarrassed. Deeply. Soon, you’ll see why. Some time back I posted how I got stuck spiritually, couldn’t figure out the cause, then God intervened in a very good Good Friday service. In looking back, I have some glimmers of the source. Know that I tend to…
Read MoreBeauty As Its Own Reward
I’m a decent stream fisherman for trout. On a Sierra trip a couple of years back, in 13 hours of fishing I pulled in 43, some up to 15”. That’s pretty good for smaller Sierra streams. No brag, just fact. (Kudos to the first that gets that allusion about “no brag”). Then came McGee Creek.
Driving south on old 395, I saw the line of trees marking McGee, and was ready to drive on by. Why? In ten or twelve stops there over the years, I have caught the grand and humbling total of two trout there, both last spring. Yep, entirely shut out before. But the stream’s beauty continues to entrance me—gorgeous holes that…
Read MoreChanging Lives
Conversations about long-gone events can change our perceptions of them. Last night, a conversation with our campus pastor J.D. about doing church, about how people decide to follow Jesus, about how we are uniquely gifted and experienced, about how we communicate effectively, forced me to reformulate how I came back to Christ in February 1971. That decision came from three events within a two week period…
Read MoreParental Cruelty?
Admit it, eagle cams have hooked a lot of us. Redding and Big Bear in CA, over 50 in all. We eagerly watch the hatching, the fledging, the first flights. And I’ve picked up a lesson from them, one we might all use in…
Read MoreThe Haunting and True Reason for the Season
In the Christmas season, we all heard the songs and the verses that reveal the reason for the season. But Matthew 1:21 gives an encouraging yet haunting purpose, as given by the angel to Mary, “you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Yes, we sin; yes, we need saving. Let’s explore this, because I’ve found that I, and perhaps many more, have an incomplete concept of sin, which can retard our spiritual journey. Let’s start by…
Read MoreSex, Lies, and Thieves
I hesitated to share this poem, for it reveals the shallowness of my early experiences with God. I condensed God’s rules to a few I could keep. Mostly. Maybe you do the same. Maybe, like me, you might consider getting deeper with Him.
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