Imperfect Resolutions
Military leaders and athletic coaches know that it is necessary to plan carefully and be fully prepared. They also know that once the action starts the plans will have to be changed. No plan will ever work to perfection. Somehow when we make our resolutions we expect a different reality than leaders and coaches experience. […]
What does the Bible have to say about tattoos?
When I saw this question I was dismayed. It meant that somewhere there was a preacher or “Bible-believer” that was making tattoos a sin. People are suffering because of human arrogance, greed, rage and apathy. People are suffering because of violence, natural disasters, diseases and unjust institutions. Yet someone chooses to heap guilt and shame […]
Do we control our future or do we follow God’s plan?
Neither. I realize that is not a helpful answer when we are trying to make decisions. However, many factors beyond our control have an effect on our future. We cannot follow a plan when we do not know what the plan is. So, is there any help from our spiritual understandings when we need to […]
500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation
The event that is marking this anniversary is the nailing of 95 Theses on the Chapel door at Wittenberg (Germany) University on October 31, 1517 by Dr. Martin Luther. That event started a chain of events that has changed the face of Christendom and, in some ways, the whole world. The success of the Protestant […]
What Can We Do When Our Leaders Let Us Down?
What comes to mind immediately is the Bible verse “Don’t put your trust in princes.” (Psalm 146:3) To me that verse reminds us that we are all human. Having wealth and power does not change that humanity which will never be perfect in the use of power or in wisdom. It is unrealistic on our […]
Does God Want Our Allegiance?
Full disclosure, I have trouble with the word allegiance. It conjures up the relationships in feudal societies. We have romantic visions of knights swearing allegiance to their liege lord. Oaths of allegiance bound them to the service of a noble of some rank. Those oaths might have been given willingly. However, the idea of allegiance, or […]