Culture
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It’s Mother’s Day, which apparently causes a lot of angst these days on Facebook and the blogosphere. It’s amazing what a card company can do by creating a holiday. This will be an opportunity today (and on Father’s Day) where I will take the opportunity to talk about spiritual parenting. This past week we have dealt… Read more
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The story that erupted this weekend regarding LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling has been brought to a head this afternoon by the NBA issuing a lifetime ban on Sterling and making sure he sells his portion of the team so he has nothing to do with the NBA ever again. The audio tape that was… Read more
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Every year there is some comment, post, article, etc., out there that will wonder why Christians go through the “morbidity” of Lent or “dwell” on the crucifixion. It’s a braggadocious claim about how they live in the resurrection power. Jesus is alive! Jesus IS alive. And the resurrection IS where we dwell. We live in the power of the… Read more
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Reflecting on society, laws, cultural wars… and having a lot of time to think while I was driving across Iowa… I began to think on what I practice but do not articulate very well. I am not sure I can still articulate it well, but this is my attempt. No matter what laws are passed… Read more
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A thought I want to develop: My obligation to the kingdom of God calls me to treat any human being with far more respect than any culture here on earth could possibly demand of me. Read more
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Now, the call from the “left” is that it’s time to stop calling “fundamentalists” Christians. Which is okay, I suppose, because “fundamentalists” have thought “liberals” weren’t saved a long time ago. So… no one is the Kingdom now. Do we feel better now? There is no amount of pleading right now I could do… or anyone… to… Read more
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Pick this week’s hot topic (or one of several that have exploded this week) and we have simply managed to yell at one another. Every one of us are capable of grabbing our particular issues, holding on for dear life, and demanding 100 percent allegiance… and it goes all across the board. I have not… Read more
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Henri Nouwen in his wonderful little book titled In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership shows just how “out of touch” he was in his day. Irrelevant leadership? Puh-leeeaaze! The temptation is to be relevant. To show power, ability, or rightness. “Words like right-wing, reactionary, conservative, liberal, and left wing are used to describe people’s opinions… Read more
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In our very divisive day, it is pretty much understood we won’t listen to each other anymore. My prayer today is that we not harden our hearts toward God. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to… Read more
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I have taught, preached, and led in a way over the past decade or so that has tried to prepare me and my church for the cultural shifts and the challenges of living out a gospel that will sometimes have consequences. I never taught it in a way where someone just doesn’t say, “Merry Christmas”… Read more
Apprentice 2 Jesus 