And I will die alone, and be left there Well I guess I'll just go home Or God knows where Because death is just so full, and man so small I'm scared of what's behind, and what's before But there will come a time you'll see With no more tears And love will not break your heart But dismiss your fears Get over your hill and see, what you find there With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair --from Mumford and Sons, “After the Storm” Now, I wouldn’t count Mumford and Sons as a beacon of good theology (perhaps as an existentialist one), but these haunting yet hopeful lyrics … [Read more...] about A Meditation on Life, Death, and Being a Nameless “Other”
Devotional Posts
The Devilish Debate Over Choice vs. Chance
Don't take credit for not falling into a sin that never tempted you in the first place. -- Billy Graham The clash between pro-gay culture and the church is turning into a tragic comedy with about the air-time quality of a 20-year-old 2 a.m. TV-Land repeat. Snooze. Who loses? Truth loses. I think sometimes we care way more about why someone struggles than we care about who struggles, almost as if in the search for a sensible reason we can make some sense of sin . . . which is, in itself, senseless, though ever-present and unrelenting in its mission to diminish our significance to make us … [Read more...] about The Devilish Debate Over Choice vs. Chance
The Aroma of Christ
The other night we got home late after eating dinner at the home of one of my coworkers. It was well past our dog Caleb’s 6 o’clock dinner time and I was certain that he would be starving as we got home at about 10:30. He did his customary run of freedom around the couch before making his way to the kitchen where his food dish is. I scooped his nightly allotment (he’s on a diet right now) and expected to hear the sounds of doggie gratitude as he bulldozed his flat little face into the bottom of the curved bowl. However, this night, he stared briefly at the food and didn’t touch it. He … [Read more...] about The Aroma of Christ
The Eyes of a Father
I got a new toy a few weeks ago. It is a standalone DVD recorder from Sony. It was a refurbished unit on clearance from one of my favorite tech sites, so we decided to grab it in hopes of dubbing off a bunch of our old home movies. So today, I pulled it out of the box and after struggling with some cabling problems (I keep tons of old cables but can't find the one for our camcorder. I dug an older camcorder out of the box and managed to get something going to try this thing out. As I write this post, I am watching the video of my first son digging into his first birthday cake after … [Read more...] about The Eyes of a Father
Does My Waistline Undermine My Message?
This post was originally published at sbcIMPACT on January 14, 2009. Since then, I have had some health problems and can no longer call myself "the best conditioned morbidly obese man in America" - plus that sumo guy did that marathon a couple of weeks ago anyway. But I am approaching this from a self-control perspective and trying to do something about the problem. All you young guys, remember this: it's a LOT easier to keep the weight off than to take it off. Hope you enjoy this! Everywhere I go I carry with me a public testimony to my failed struggle with self-control. I am more than … [Read more...] about Does My Waistline Undermine My Message?
Stronger Than Hell
I can't remember ever doubting the existence of hell. As much as I believe "there is a God," I believe "there is a hell." I don't think I ever had an issue with the idea that "there is a judgment" either and that God decides who goes to hell, no matter how many times we may hear people throughout our lives telling others to "go to" or "burn in," or see someone wiping the sweat from their brows or the tears from their eyes, struggling to pick themselves back up after, saying "this is." No, it's not. I don't really like the idea of hell, but I accept it as part of God's plan . . . … [Read more...] about Stronger Than Hell
Where Would We Be Without Doubt?
(NOTE: This post is taken from a chapter in my book, Surviving Sexual Brokenness: What Grace Can Do. With all the major events of recent days, this just seemed like an appropriate time to share it.) Lord, I crawled across the barrenness to you with my empty cup uncertain in asking for any small drop of refreshment. If only I had known you better, I'd have come running with a bucket. -- Nancy Spielberg One of the hardest things anyone with a significant struggle -- such as same-sex attraction, pornography addiction, heterosexual lust or any addictive temptation -- deals with, is … [Read more...] about Where Would We Be Without Doubt?
God the Judge? Living Condemned (by Micah Fries)
Micah Fries is the pastor of Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church in St. Joseph, MO. He blogs at Micahfries.com and is a favorite for many of us. One of the most devastating effects of the pursuit of holiness can often be our propensity to believe that our sin draws God’s anger. This belief will result in a practical theology which assumes that God’s discipline in our lives is punitive; in other words that His discipline is evidence of some displeasure which is earned by our disobedience. It is amazing to me how many believers struggle with this unfortunate theology. This belief is … [Read more...] about God the Judge? Living Condemned (by Micah Fries)
What if it was Only Almost Easter?
As far as I know -- for not all dreams are remembered – I’ve never dreamed of Easter. I’ve acted in church plays from high school, where I played a very youthful Jesus, to middle-age, playing Paul, who bore a strange resemblance in costume to Fred Flintstone. If that was a dream, I’m glad I woke up. I’ve tried to put myself at the scene while watching other actors re-enact it in churches and on the big screen, but I always feel short of really capturing in my mind what it must have been like, from the triumphant entry to the triumphant victory. It’s impossible to capture the perspective, … [Read more...] about What if it was Only Almost Easter?
More Than His Robe
Hundreds of years. Long before Jesus was born of a virgin in a lowly manger stall in the city of Bethlehem, the psalmist pens a prophetic song sharing details of the Messiah's death. "All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment." Psalm 22:17-18 Jesus hung naked upon the cross, scourged, battered, near lifeless. The crowd mocked Him as His clothes lay at the foot of the cross. Some gloated and tauntingly demanded that He "save Himself". Soldiers siezed the opportunity to cast lots, roll the dice, for his … [Read more...] about More Than His Robe