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Category Archives: On Faith
Say “Friend” and Enter
I have always been amused and challenged by the passage in Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Rings where Gandalf and his pilgrims are stymied by the door into the mines of Moria. They discovered the door and even the instructions, “Speak, … Continue reading
The Wrong End of the Rope
I have sometimes explained hell this way. If all your life you play tug-of-war with God, hell is simply God letting go of his end of the rope. Hell is you winning the war. I have also thought about this … Continue reading
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On “The Voice”
I have watched some of a TV show called “The Voice.” I was surprised by how moved I was by something called the blind auditions. The judges (this year Blake Sheldon, Christina Aguilera, Pharrell Williams, Adam Levine) sit with their … Continue reading
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The Death of a Salesman and the Joy of Repentance
I recently taught Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, a modern American tragedy about the ways we lie to ourselves, rationalize our moral failures, and substitute popularity for actual character. Time and consequences eventually catch up to the Loman family … Continue reading
A few Sundays ago I took a leisurely ride along the river on the Old Broadbent Road. Near Catching Creek, I heard the pi-tsee, pi-tsee of a bird. Slowing to a near stop, I said to myself, “black phoebe” and … Continue reading
Poison Oak and Holiness
One of the things I like about fall around Myrtle Point is that the poison oak turns a deep and lustrous red. This makes it much easier to avoid. The rest of the year it is harder to see. … Continue reading
On the Roof
Recently I went somewhere I hadn’t been for a while: the roof of our house. I was painting the gables of our two story house—hanging onto a rope with one hand and painting with the other. While adjusting the ropes, … Continue reading
Going to Washtucna
Yes, I am a terrible person. I dislike exhortations to love others more. I am even annoyed when people pray for God to make us more loving. I have heard this prayer for years. It tries my patience. But it … Continue reading
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Spot Me
I have spent enough time in the weight room over the years to know that it’s the last few muscle-burning lifts that lead to progress. Those straining to do these last few lifts often ask someone to spot them. A … Continue reading
A Third Way
My Sunday school class studied Matthew 10:1 last week. We focused on one simple question. Does the commissioning of the apostles apply to believers today? Are we given “authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every … Continue reading
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