Last week we examined one of the causes why families and churches and friends get so upset with each other: we primarily try to change people’s behaviors, thinking that living by God’s standards will improve our culture. Yes, it will, but at what cost? We say we want to make disciples, but many nonChristians see it as meddling and turn us off. They become less open to hearing about Jesus. And when Christians attack other Christians over politics…
Read MoreOur Aim May Be Off
Many Christians bemoan the direction of our country. Our long-lived moral values, resting mostly on the Judeo-Christian ethic, are disappearing like dust in the wind. To combat that, many followers work politically to pass laws and elect candidates to restore righteousness to our country, with righteous defined as right behavior. How is that working? First, with all this work going back decades, our culture shows little moral restoration. Second, our efforts often alienate…
Read MoreHanging in There: Fruit of the Spirit #4
Coworkers have been resigning, causing our boss to make unreasonable demands to take up the slack, so we start reading the help wanted ads. Someone in church offends us by a chance comment, and we're ready to start looking. Again. Our mate treats us like last week's leftovers, and we wonder how a divorce would affect the kids. Some jerk darts in front of us on the freeway, we slam on our brakes, and are ready to quit being Mr. Nice Guy. Fortunately…
Read MoreCreation Care
My recent camping/fishing Sierra trip stunned me with the natural beauty and how it all fits together—again. Funny how each trip does that. Mid October revealed the glory of golden aspen with the contrasting cedars and Ponderosa pines, the life-sheltering and beautiful streams, the awe-inspiring Milky Way at night. But heading home showed all isn’t well on Planet Earth. Lone Pine Creek was…
Read MoreTranscendence--In All the Wrong Places
One of my closest lifetime friendships was forged in high school and college. Ken and I then both followed Jesus, both left, only I returned. Ken has trekked the world. His innate curiosity and hunger for knowledge has led him to many worship events, in many faiths. During one of our conversations on his yearly trip back to the states, he offered, “Worship is funny. I visit my parents’ evangelical Christian worship, or that of my Muslim friends, and they all look the same.” Ken saw an outer similarity, but missed…
Read MoreFish by Faith, Not Sight
As you read this post, I’ll likely be on a stream like the one above. So please take a look at the pic. A close one, and focus at the middle of the pool just below the horizontal line of white water, just below the good sized rock. See any trout? Peer closely…
Read MoreRain
Some unusual or difficult events are messages from God. But not all. Some are temptations by Satan. But not all. Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar. Sometimes, rain is just rain. Let’s explore the tension of figuring out how our choice and His sovereignty…
Read MoreSlowing Our Spirit--Episode 3 on Peace
On September the 8th, our refrigerator gave up the ghost. A nice run of 32 years, only to be killed by a power surge after SCE turned off the power. We found and purchased a new one on 9/10, delivery slated for 9/26. We didn’t care for the long delay, but on 9/23, they pushed it back to 10/1. We figured we could manage, if we had to. Then on 9/28, they changed it once more, to 10/14. We hope and pray that’s the day, but I’ll wager that too will get moved. Honestly…
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