At a recent church event I sat across from a guest who was particularly interested in what I did for a living. When he found out that I taught Old Testament, he said, “I know the God of the Bible is one God, but when you read the Old and New Testaments, they present God...
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In June 2011, lobster diver Michael Packard was briefly swallowed by a humpback whale off the coast of Cape Cod. A year ago, off the coast of Chile, another humpback whale briefly swallowed a kayaker. And, while wanting to be as sensitive as possible to the trauma both men had endured, preachers everywhere cried “Hallelujah!...
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Historically, the Christian church has set aside the four weeks before December 25 to focus on humanity’s deep longings, our need for Jesus to come into this world—including our longing for his second Advent (his return). So, originally the celebration of Christmas did not begin until Christmas Day itself. December 25 kicked off a 12-day...
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My doubts began in the most romantic of settings. I laid on the grass, my head on my backpack, in Champ de Mars park in Paris—the one that’s just below the Eiffel Tower. On a bright winter day, I found myself reading about the myth of Artemis. One of the classes I had enrolled in...
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The entire collection of 150 Psalms has a single, profound message toward which every psalm is ultimately oriented. This message is prominent in a series of Enthronement Psalms at the beginning of Book IV of the Psalter. The proclamation, “The LORD reigns” is central to this group between Psalms 93 and 99, but we encounter...
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In 1 Peter 2:11, the Apostle Peter describes Christians as spiritual “sojourners and exiles” heading to their heavenly home. Living in a sinful world, it is expected that Christians will face trials. For that reason, Peter said “do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though...
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