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Isn’t It Time to Leave Egypt?
4 You saw what I did to the Egyptians, and how I lifted you up on eagles’ wings and brought you to me. (Ex. 19:4, CEB) There are so many thoughts, discussion, articles, etc., on the angst of the American Church. There are some I agree with, and some I don’t. There are certainly those who are so politicized that the…
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Race and Reconciliation
I posted some initial thoughts on Pentecost and race here. Then I saw this video with Piper, Keller, and Anthony Bradley discussing race and reconciliation. Piper is okay on this stuff, but Keller really jolted me into paying attention with corporate racism thoughts. He gave a “white guy’s” perspective, and I could understand more clearly what I’ve thought of before.…
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Taxes and Who We Owe
No better time than tax season to have a story on taxes from Mark 12. And it’s always a great question in our culture. Just bring up TAXES and see what kind of response we get! 13 They sent some of the Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap him in his words. 14They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know…
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Reconciliation and Pentecost
I am currently reading Forgiveness, Reconciliation, and Restoration: Multidisciplinary Studies from a Pentecostal Perspective. It was sent to me as a review copy. Renea Brathwaite’s chapter is incredibly insightful and powerful. He gives a historical perspective about Azusa Street and does so as an African American Pentecostal scholar. He retells the story of the racist Charles Parham and the spiritually…
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“Affordable Healthcare Act”
I make a feeble attempt to jump into the fray about healthcare. The Supreme Court heard arguments this week on the “Affordable Healthcare Act.” My current thought is this: It’s like saying “Holy Roman Empire.” It’s a misnomer. The Holy Roman Empire wasn’t Roman, not really “holy”, and not much of an empire either. The operative word that is deceptive…
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So, What Happens When You Take the Excuses Out of the Way?
This column by Frank Bruni is typical of how people burned by “religion” want to think of religion. Just as someone in that category would accuse those in “religion” to have their nice, neat categories… Bruni demonstrates his nice, neat categories as well. He isn’t a fan of Christianity. And he sets up the typical stereotypes. “How can someone who…
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A New Play on the Last Week of Christ
Kingdom Undone is a new production in the Twin Cities. It takes a look at the ministry of Christ and his purposes through the lens of Judas Iscariot and a young zealot named Isaac. The play was well done and a fresh take. The first act added in some great humor, but the refreshing look was seeing how Judas might have…
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Slavery Hasn’t Ended
There are so many organizations responding now, it is hopeful. I heard another presentation today in my Kiwanis club on human trafficking. The statistics are astounding. Minnesota is ranked 13th in the nation for human trafficking. It’s not something overseas. It is something here. I love the story of William Wilberforce and his lifelong efforts to end the slave trade…
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Clean and Unclean
15 The voice spoke a second time, “Never consider unclean what God has made pure.” (Acts 10:15, CEB) One of the greatest challenges for the American Church in our day is to rise above the political rhetoric, quit drawing political lines in the sand, and hear the voice of God in our midst once again. It’s not a matter of…
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Passion and Facts: Invisible Children
My youngest son is involved in the group “Invisible Children.” A lot of kids in his high school are incredibly passionate about this project. One of the exciting things I see in this generation is passion for great causes. They raise thousands and thousands of dollars for projects like “Invisible Children” and Project Rescue, which gets kids out of sexual…
Category: Culture
