Category Archives: On Faith

Apologetics, Theology, and Exposition

Eating Eternity

Posted on November 13, 2025 by Mark

I was surprised by how much I liked rock-climbing. In graduate school, a classmate took me to a 30-foot boulder at the edge of Pullman. With practice I got better and better. I learned the grace of holding on to … Continue reading →

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Do You Miss Him?

Posted on October 13, 2025 by Mark

I think I was as surprised as my student by the question. We were in a scheduled conference to discuss the topic of her research paper. Recently, some celebrities were choosing to begin families without the help of man, so … Continue reading →

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Mysteries So Bright

Posted on September 16, 2025 by Mark

I dislike mysteries, at least theological ones. Saying something is a mystery has always seemed like an escape from logical consistency. Like most evangelicals of my generation, I see my faith mostly as a set of beliefs that can be … Continue reading →

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Time on My Hands

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Mark

Just when you think you are past all the temptations to live a fleshly life, you get old. It is not sensual pleasure, but rather the love of comfort that entices you. All the aches and pains make comfort paramount. … Continue reading →

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Walking Home

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Mark

The sun was setting behind the warehouses as Teckla and I walked home after getting hugs and saying goodnight to the grandchildren. We live only a few blocks away, but sometimes I like to ask Teckla to lead us home. … Continue reading →

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Holy Ruts

Posted on August 13, 2025 by Mark

In my love of spontaneity, and abhorrence of routines, I am probably a child of the Sixties and Seventies. I have, until recently, viewed routines as recipes for boredom. “Getting in a rut” meant the same old thing, worn out … Continue reading →

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Teckla’s Double Portion

Posted on July 20, 2025 by Mark

For a second Sunday in a roll, Teckla has given me a double portion of the Lord. Where I go to church, Vineyard Community Church, communion is done by people walking to the front and taking the bread and juice … Continue reading →

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The God of Now

Posted on July 17, 2025 by Mark

Both the young and the old are tempted to live in the future. As a college writing instructor, I have spent much of my life helping young people prepare for the future. Especially in recent years, college freshmen entered my … Continue reading →

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The Many Masks of Sloth

Posted on June 27, 2025 by Mark

There are three reasons that the deadly sin of sloth is ignored in most churches and by most pastors. First, pastors tend to teach about sins and weaknesses that they have overcome, but most pastors are highly motivated Type-A people … Continue reading →

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It’s All About You

Posted on June 18, 2025 by Mark

As heretical as it may sound, hearing God say, “It’s all about you” was liberating. For Christians, there are probably a dozen different ways that God’s relationship with us is not “all about us.” But in one profound way, it … Continue reading →

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