Lord of the Manger

While we were enjoying Christmas with our loved ones on December 25th of 2021, the James Webb telescope was being launched into space. It is effectively a second-generation space telescope (it was initially referred to as the Next Generation Telescope) and “replaces” the Hubble telescope which was launched in 1990. Unlike the Hubble which orbits theContinue reading “Lord of the Manger”

Childish or Child-like?

There’s an intriguing picture in Psalm 131. It is offered to further develop and reveal the pilgrims’ perspective as they neared Jerusalem. After confessing they had steered clear of presumptuous matters (“things too wonderful for me”), we are told, “I am like a weaned child with its mother.” Not simply a child—but a weaned child.Continue reading “Childish or Child-like?”

Facing the Anakites

In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses is preparing a new generation of, Israelites to enter the land of Canaan. The previous generation died in the wilderness due to their unbelief and Moses wants the generation he’s addressing to do better. I think Daniel Block’s contention that we should listen to Moses here in a pastoralContinue reading “Facing the Anakites”

Thinking About The Atonement (1)

The challenge of communication is not simply knowing what someone said—it’s understanding what they meant by their words. That’s why we tend to listen more carefully or speak more precisely with people we don’t know well. We want to make sure we hear their words or they hear ours in the proper context. With those we know well,Continue reading “Thinking About The Atonement (1)”

Rooted Or Roaming (Up In The Air)

Up in the Air is a movie from 2009 about a man (Ryan Bingham), who spends most of his life up in the air, flying from one place to another. He is away from home about 300 days a year and his goal is to reach the 10 million mile mark in air travel— something thatContinue reading “Rooted Or Roaming (Up In The Air)”

Someone We Can Relate To

Moses was a great servant of God, but passion for God doesn’t mean immunity from struggles whether we’re talking about Moses, Noah, Esther, David, or anyone else. And there’s no hesitancy on the part of biblical writers to call out mistakes, flaws, or weaknesses of the people they write about and that’s one reason weContinue reading “Someone We Can Relate To”

Trifling with God

At Meribah the people of Israel “gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron” (Numbers 20:2). The problem was a lack of water and Israel was so despondent over it that they told Moses they wished they had died “When our brothers fell dead before the Lord” (v. 3)! Think about that a bit. It wasContinue reading “Trifling with God”

It’s a Jungle Out There (Anxiety & Faith, pt. 1)

Monk aired from 2001 to 2009. It achieved the requisite hundred episodes to enter into the afterlife of syndication, so you can find it today in the cable/satellite tv world as well as on some streaming services.   Monk is a police procedural show, a dramedy, but mainly it is about Adrian Monk. He hadContinue reading “It’s a Jungle Out There (Anxiety & Faith, pt. 1)”

It’s a Jungle Out There (Anxiety & Faith, pt. 2)

Anxiety seems to be everywhere. Every day we hear reports, stories, and statistics about it. It’s like the pandemic came along and took the lid off our anxiety jar and everything started spilling out. But that perception isn’t entirely accurate. According to research conducted by The American Psychiatric Association and The U.K. Council for PsychotherapyContinue reading “It’s a Jungle Out There (Anxiety & Faith, pt. 2)”