Those of you who heard me preach last week heard me say that, as Christians who believe in the sovereignty of God, we affirm that God is free and capable of revealing himself in ways that are not specifically or even remotely Christian – if God so chooses. Because God is God, he cannot be contained in any of our systems of belief. In other words, if God wants to reveal himself through Buddhist meditation, or through a Native American vision quest, or through the playful song of a blackbird, … [Read more...]
What About Them?
Two events over the last few weeks remind us that we live in a deeply divided world where age-old boundaries continue to be reinforced in light of the “spirit of the times.” When Anders Breivik went on a shooting and bombing rampage in Norway late last month, killing 77 people, he claimed that his “atrocious and necessary actions” were in response to an increasingly multicultural society that was overly-hospitable to Muslims and which thereby threatened the ethnically and religiously homogenous … [Read more...]
Walk on Water
When it comes time for that summertime swim, are you one of those people that dives in fearlessly, head first or cannonball style, or do you take the more conservative approach – first dipping your big toe in the water, then entering slowly, tentatively, while holding your breath? The older we get, the less apt we are to dive fearlessly into anything in life. We like life on the pool deck, where it’s safe and dry. We count the costs, avoid risks, convincing ourselves that we have too much to … [Read more...]
Re-Releasing Stirred, Not Shaken
Over the last few years I have heard from many of my readers about how my first two books, Testimony to the Exiles, and Stirred, Not Shaken, have been helpful in the everyday course of living out their faith. Pastors and laity alike have reached out to me through email and phone calls to share specific stories about how a particular sermon spoke to them in meaningful ways, or challenged them to move on some personal issue, or led them through some difficult decision or experience. Hearing … [Read more...]
What About the Weeds?
A couple of weeks ago I travelled with eighteen high school students to South Central Los Angeles for an extraordinary week of service and learning. Throughout the week, we dispersed in teams to various parts of the city with hammers and paintbrushes and ladders, building, painting, and roofing at several different work sites. My team of six was, perhaps, more talented and motivated than the rest. We completed our tasks at our first work site far sooner than the others, and for that, we were … [Read more...]
