The Voice of One

Church of Cowards

Matt Walsh was unknown to me until a few months ago. A friend asked me to read Walsh’s book Church of Cowards so we could talk about it. Walsh is a conservative blogger aligned with the religious right. I’m not the religious right’s biggest fan but I read on anyway. Walsh is a literary bludgeon. If…

Yes, I Will Say His Name

Since the murder of George Floyd, American cities have experienced paroxysms of protests and riots. To date, three separate protests have happened where I live, which is saying something for our small town. Thankfully, they remained peaceful; some of our police participated, exchanged fist-bumps with protesters, and walked along to show support. Along with real…

Shhh! Don’t Tell the Governor or President!

Much of the world is living with restrictions because of coronavirus. Like many others, I’ve struggled with all of this. Every time guidelines/restrictions are added or changed, it takes time for me to process them and adjust. I’ve seen myself go through some classic stages of grief: denial, anger, depression…I haven’t really bargained because there…

Love, not Law

The following appeared in our local paper’s religion column last weekend. It is a revision of a previous post, “Love, not Law”. The paper re-titled it “What Complete Freedom Means.” *** “Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). Most Christians know…

Big Reveal

“To the called out Thessalonians in God our Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:1). Paul starts his first and second letters to the Thessalonians with an almost identical address. He is writing Thessalonians who were called out, who are now in God and Jesus. Called out of the world and into…

Re-imaging

God created man in His image. His original command to His image was, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28). Man fell from this purpose. God’s image in man was marred. As a result, man multiplied his own image and likeness (Gen. 5:3). Man’s image filled the earth. All things…

Are You with Me?

While I was spending time with the Lord this week, He asked, “Are you with me?” My first reaction was, “Is this one of those questions like when you asked Peter if he loved you?” I’m way more likely to overthink things than Peter. There was no confident (over confident?), “You know I’m with you,…

The Kenosis Conundrum

“Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to hold onto. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men” (Php. 2:5-7). When Paul says Jesus emptied Himself, what does he mean? Debates about this center on the Greek…

Unshaken

“His voice shook the earth at that time, but now He has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven. This expression, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of what can be shaken…so that what is not shaken might remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us…

Jesus Is Coming. Look Busy.

Paul ends his letter to the Thessalonians with final instructions for the community. His directives culminate in verses 23 and 24: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will…

The Voice of One

Later, Gator

Linus Christianity

To Live Is Christ

Preposterous

Memoir