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- The Unbroken Circles of Love and Grace
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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Will You Not Come Down?
These are Gandalf’s words to Saruman in Tolkien’s The Two Towers. Saruman, once Saruman the White, had allowed a lust for power and greatness to corrupt him. But in this scene he stands in the window of his tower surrounded … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Tolkien, Uncategorized
Tagged Gandalf, Hobbit humility, Pride, Saruman
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Why I Don’t Write About Teckla
Teckla has pointed out that she is seldom the subject of my blogs. It is true. Teckla, and our marriage are hard for me to write about. Here are a few reasons. First, our lives and hearts are so intertwined … Continue reading
Loving Smeagol–and Addicts
Odd, as it may seem, reading J. R. R. Tolkien has helped me love meth addicts—of which there are many in Myrtle Point. Tom Shippey’s book, J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century, argues that Tolkien’s Lord of the … Continue reading
Posted in On Faith, Tolkien, Uncategorized
Tagged Addiction, Gollum, Smeagol, Tolkien, Tweakers
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Kingly Gifts
Re-reading The Lord of the Rings while going through the darkest year of my life has led me to think about the kingly gifts that have sustained me. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is in many ways a story … Continue reading
“Pajamas!”–A Hobbit Battle Cry
Of course, the actual battle cry of hobbits was “The Shire!” This cry, like “pajamas,” does not summon visions of military or urban grandeur. The memory of fat cabbages in well-tended gardens and fat hobbits in cozy holes are what … Continue reading
More Spiritual Than God (Part One)
Of course, we can’t be more spiritual than God. We can, however, in the pretense of being spiritual reject solid Biblical truths about God and God’s ways. We sometimes clothe these rejections in humility, but this hyper-spirituality robs us of … Continue reading
Posted in On Faith, Uncategorized
Tagged heavenly reward, hyper-spirituality, rich toward God, treasure in heaven
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Down with Bottoms!
We have probably all heard, especially regarding addicts, “They just need to hit rock bottom before they will get better.” Often, this idea is applied to people more generally. Sometimes we say of young people, “They are just sowing their … Continue reading
I’m Sad, But That’s Okay
I have been sad for months. My sadness has made me impatient with worship songs that insist I be happy. I heartily sing, and believe, the songs that celebrate all that God has given me: forgiveness, salvation, eternal life, and … Continue reading
Peter, Jesus, and Church Kids
The story of Peter and Jesus breaks my heart and gives me hope. Peter, like a lot of church kids, was full of promise. Jesus spoke a prophetic word over him, proclaiming that he would become a fisher of men. … Continue reading
Posted in Fathers and Sons, On Faith, Uncategorized
Tagged Church Kids, Jesus, Peter, Prodigals
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We Don’t Know
Over the years I have mastered the art of criticizing the Church. I have skills. Come over when you have four or five hours, and I will share my Biblical, historical, and sociological critiques of the Church. I have stories … Continue reading
Posted in On Faith, Uncategorized
Tagged Humility, loving the Church, servanthood, the critical spirit
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