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Hints of God appear everywhere, sometimes even in Parade magazine. Marilyn vos Savant, whom Guinness proclaims as having the highest recorded IQ score, responded in her column to a question from a Mensa member, “Why are we here?”
Savant replied, “I think it depends on your spiritual beliefs. If you have a religion, it provides the answer. But if you don't believe in a god, the question contradicts your thinking. Having a reason implies having a purpose, which...
Read MoreDriving with Dad up Highway 395, along the imposing eastern face of the Sierra Nevada mountains, seeing their peaks piercing the sky, their almost plumb plummet from the crest to the valley floor, and exposed granite, intrigued me. Yeah, “God created it all,” but the how did more than puzzle—it astounded. Some decades later a good friend, Dick Markano, a UCLA geology grad, led a group from our church into the Sierra backcountry, and an unintended geology lesson emerged with my questioning. That tantalized me, and I yearned to take a night course on basic geology. Yet that desire was too far down the priority list to punch through into action.
Then, almost by chance...
Read More“A perfect God has chosen to use imperfect churches to bring imperfect people to the perfect God.” So, how do we handle imperfect churches? And trust me, all are imperfect. I’ve been on staff at 5 churches, one that I planted, and none of them were all I yearned for. So let’s look at two questions: when might it be time to consider leaving a church, and how should we do it?
Read MoreWe live in a world of extremes, especially in our behaviors, our values. But what if we looked deeper at balancing virtues and decreasing extremes? The new Unconventional suggests a tool we can all use.
Read MoreOur perception of God drives our connection with him. View him as legalistic—rules and fear of failing will consume us. View him as gracious—we may take advantage and miss obedience. View him as distant, and we never discover intimacy. Understanding his nature motivated a long search, attempting to determine how he can be personal and immediate and simultaneously present in every cubic centimeter of the universe. Was he…
Read MoreQuite a popular bumper sticker lately, particularly in our relativistic age which encompasses many paths to God. Some take it to mean coexist peacefully, disagree without killing one another. I support that. But if it means, “God is too big to fit into one place,” equating all belief systems, then I take issue.
Easter is the reason.
Read MoreI’ve seen this post multiple times, and can’t express how profoundly these words offend me. The purpose, often put up by people whom I know love Jesus, attempt to justify bad and offensive language by leaders and ourselves, and this can be from both political persuasions. However, this Unconventional rant is NOT political—but spiritual. The question: do Churchill’s words represent or oppose how Jesus and the Bible view words?
Read MoreJust what does it mean to “follow” Jesus? Not long ago, for many it just meant being an American. That day is done. Obeying God? That’s important, but being good is not good enough. Telling people you follow? That expression is crucial, but not central. Going to church? Nope, going to church makes you no more of a Christian than going into a barn makes you a horse. Years back I came across a verse that began a change process in me. Jesus proclaimed…
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