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Monthly Archives: December 2009
The Paradox That Is Jesus
From Philip Yancey: The more I studied Jesus, the more difficult it became to pidgeonhole him. He said little about the Roman occupation, and yet he took up a whip to drive petty profiteers from the temple. He urged obedience … Continue reading
Top 10 Stories of the Decade
Christianity Today magazine identifies its top stories of the last ten years: Top 10 News Stories of the Decade January 2001: President Bush launches his faith-based initiative. September 2001: NYC terror attacks prompt intense reflection on Christian-Muslim relations. March 2003: … Continue reading
Posted in Daily Life, History
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Men Looking at Mirrors
I drove to the gym after work yesterday and walked three miles on the treadmill. Feeling virtuous afterward, I went downstairs to the men’s locker room to clean up. It’s a small affair, with two dozen lockers, two showers and … Continue reading
PM Praise
Here’s the audio from last night’s praise service, which featured music from the Ascend Praise Band and a video clip from the TV show Joan of Arcadia. The service was 50 minutes. The message begins at about 20:15… it’s based … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons, Worship
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Music and Ecstasy
Algis Valiunas comments on the effect Handel’s Messiah has on listeners: Messiah is the voice of an earthly ecstasy that has no need of mysticism, but is available to all in their ordinary lives thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus. … Continue reading
Shy Santa
Posted first as ‘Reluctant Santa’ on December 26, 2008 Merry Christmas to all. A few years ago my wife made a Santa suit. She sewed the trousers, jacket and cap using a red textured fabric and trimmed them with a … Continue reading
Longest Night Altar
C and A created this altar for our Longest Night Service on Monday. We hold the service before Christmas each year for people who may be grieving the loss of loved ones during the holidays. I’d never seen a deer … Continue reading
The Holy Foreskin
Just in time for Christmas! Learn more than you want to know about holy relics associated with Jesus and Mary: Blood, breast milk, teardrop, umbilical cord, swaddling clothes, and yes, even the holy foreskin of Jesus. The foreskin of Jesus … Continue reading
Regrets Remain
The call from the funeral director came as I visited parishioners at a nursing care facility. “Chris, we were wondering if you could perform a service on Saturday.” The woman who died belonged to my old congregation, and the pastor … Continue reading
In Praise of Science
Tim Stafford, senior writer at Christianity Today magazine, has begun a series on scientist/priest John Polkinghorne. Along the way he praises science itself: Science is arguably the human endeavor of which we can most take pride, as members of the … Continue reading
Read Scripture to the Sick
Her fever spiked two weeks ago at 106 degrees, and now she lays in a critical care room at the University of Michigan Hospital. I sat by her bedside yesterday afternoon as the nurse wiped blood oozing around her trache … Continue reading
Tiger Woods, Meet Simon Tugwell
The Monitor has a good editorial on the Tiger Woods saga. Perhaps more than other recent cases of adultery by prominent figures, the case of Mr. Woods is a sober reminder of how unfaithfulness in matrimony can leave behind a … Continue reading
The Half-Assed Samaritan
“He’s missing a leg, and he needs a ride to the Chelsea Hospital,” my wife said on the phone. She was at her church. “Okay… (sigh)… Give me his number.” He lived on Division St by the stadium, and I … Continue reading
Happy Ulysses
11 years ago tonight I proposed to my wife while we stood in front of this painting of Ulysses and Penelope. I’m a happy man… as Ulysses was! (Image from lib-art.com)
Posted in Art
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An Outsider’s View of the Methodist Appointment System
In the November issue of the Michigan Christian Advocate, a United Methodist magazine, Paul Thompson criticizes the appointment system the denomination uses. He’d rather see local churches empowered to call their own ministers rather than clergy be appointed by bishops … Continue reading
What Does a Crucifix Symbolize?
A decision by the European Court of Human Rights has declared the presence of crucifixes in Italian classrooms a violation of human rights. The Italian government argued against the verdict, saying the crucifixes are merely cultural symbols. Alexander Stummvoll disagrees: … Continue reading
Appreciating Children
Each December our church hosts the SERRV Shop, tables of handcrafted items from around the world. Yesterday I bought this figurine of Jesus blessing the children. The $15 it cost will support the family of an artisan in Peru. This … Continue reading
7 Steps to Improve Your Preaching
How can pastors, pressed for time in the weekly demands of ministry, take steps to improve their preaching? Shrinking budgets make it harder for pastors to attend expensive continuing education events, but there are specific low-cost things they can do … Continue reading
How to Find a Lost Wedding Ring
Wait 30 years for the friend who now owns your old house to come across it doing yard work: Last month — about 30 years after Benz, 63, lost the gold band in his yard — the current owner of … Continue reading
