Category Archives: On Faith

Apologetics, Theology, and Exposition

Selections from Birthday Cards for Teckla 2024

Posted on January 5, 2025 by Mark
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The Porch and Mudroom of Heaven

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Mark

Is this all there is? What happened to all the dreams of revival? All the hopes for our children? I am 71 and it seems like life has gone by in the blink of an eye. So many prayers prayed! … Continue reading →

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A Tale of Two Tales

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Mark

With great insight and common sense, Sam explains to Frodo that there are two types of tales. The first is the kind Bilbo had when he left the Shire and then returned well and wealthy—tales of “coming home and finding … Continue reading →

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Faramir and Hope

Posted on December 3, 2024 by Mark

A line spoken by Faramir, in The Lord of Rings, pierced my heart and grief. Although full of Christian truths and values, The Lord of the Rings is not, Tolkien insists, a Christian allegory. Middle earth is perhaps best understood … Continue reading →

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Boromir and Some Good Thing

Posted on November 30, 2024 by Mark

The “victory” of Boromir in The Lord of the Rings baffles modern folks.  Boromir is one of the more complex and tragic characters in Tolkien’s story. In a moment of weakness, he tries to take the ring of power from … Continue reading →

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Getting Ready

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Mark

In the midst of her dementia, the purity and simplicity of Teckla’s faith makes familiar truths as sharp as a newly forged sword. She has good and bad days. One morning this week she was troubled by a lot of … Continue reading →

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Grim and Fell

Posted on November 6, 2024 by Mark

I think all I have gone through has left me grim and (to use an archaic word) fell. This may be good. Experience and Scripture have left me realistic (grim) about walking faithfully with God. In the last ten years, … Continue reading →

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Haunted by the Widow

Posted on October 31, 2024 by Mark

Even before I realized it was Halloween, I had this title stuck in my head. Teckla and I have been asking God to use us in Kansas. In the past, I have found the prayer, “God, please use me,” dangerous. … Continue reading →

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By Their Fruit

Posted on October 29, 2024 by Mark

I am relearning the trees of eastern Kansas and western Missouri. It is a formidable task. There are about nineteen species of oak trees. Some like the willow and shingle oak have leaves that look nothing like an oak. There … Continue reading →

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Faith Keepers: A Manifesto

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Mark

My son Dylan recently said to me, “Dad, I want you to finish strong.”  His senior pastor, who was retiring, had preached a sermon on the importance of ending one’s life full of faith. Dylan was right to be worried. … Continue reading →

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