There are three challenges that a Christian faces: (1) maintaining his faith in God; (2) figuring out what God wants us to do; and (3) doing it. Different people might find different challenges most difficult; we all may face any of them from time to time; and of course it’s not just the committed Christian … [Read more…]
I like the categorization of prayer into A-C-T-S: that is, adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. Every night, I run through that list and try to recall events of the day that fit into each box. I’ll admit, though, that the first category is the trickiest, especially since it’s very easy to say you adore God … [Read more…]
Son His science project’s home is here; Its title is, “The Bean.” Heliotropically, ten plants veer, Then toward the window lean. Back to the desk my gaze then goes And finds a truth I’ll limn: His confirmation picture shows I’m leaning, too, toward him.
Westerners are so used to thinking about the God-man relationship in the Judeo-Christian way that we forget there are all kinds of other possibilities. A god might have a variety of different personalities, of varying degrees of sophistication; and the degree of concern he might have with the fate of humanity could vary widely, too … [Read more…]
[Or: “What Would Jesus, a Real Man, Do?] How should we think of God as we go about our daily lives? The starting point that immediately suggests itself is that of a present father. He does not want us to be timid and cowering, but grateful and joyful, loving not only Him but also focused … [Read more…]
Christianity must be chosen, not forced, if it is to save a soul. And one can have a strong faith for oneself and believe it to be wrong to force that faith onto someone else — both because it will not save the other person’s soul, and because each individual ought to respect the choices … [Read more…]
The Old Testament and New Testament are each multigenre. Both have much historical narrative; both have some apocalyptic writing. Of course, the New Testament quotes the Old Testament, and there are songs, poetry, and prayers in each. The New Testament lacks a listing of laws per se (no surprise there!). The New Testament epistles most … [Read more…]
God already knows what we’re thinking, right, so what’s the point? A short answer is that Jesus taught us how to pray and, what’s more, prayed Himself. ‘Nuff said. But it makes sense, too. It is a way re-center our lives around God, a way to ensure we are not ignoring or forgetting Him. And … [Read more…]
Apologies beforehand, since I’m no expert on Protestant doctrine and know even less of Catholicism. But the issue I’m addressing is this: Is a system of greater individual choice in determining right theology to be preferred over one with more institutional authority? One can answer this question (1) just in terms of which approach is … [Read more…]