Tag Archives: Faith

He, However

These first two words of Luke 8:54 have been echoing in my heart and challenging my mind for several weeks. These words come at the end of the story of Jairus and his sick 12-year-old daughter—his only child. Jairus was … Continue reading

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Rhizomatic Faith

I fell in love with milkweeds in Kansas City. About a dozen species can be found in the fields and ditches. The bright orange of the butterfly-weed flashed like a neon light in a sea of prairie, but my delight … Continue reading

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Rain, Seeds, and Prayer

You see the rain differently when you have seeds in the ground. The springs rains here in Myrtle Point are different than those in the Midwest. Here the rains can last all day, sometimes for several days. Lumpy gray clouds … Continue reading

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Weak Things

Sometimes I hate being a Christian. I grew up on Tarzan, Robin Hood, and Zorro, men of action stories. Bad guys were, well, bad and always got what is coming to them. Heroes did stuff and were men of few … Continue reading

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When the Light Goes Out

Few things are sadder than seeing the light of God’s Spirit go out in the eyes of your child. The moment it happens is easy to miss. There are natural rhythms of wandering and return in the lives of most … Continue reading

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Heavy Dew

These are the dog days of summer in Myrtle Point. The golden grasses have gone to seed, and it has been weeks since the last rain. South of here, near Brookings, a forest fire has burned over 100,000 acres. Smoke … Continue reading

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Praying for Mom

Beneath the crinkled paper that had become my mother’s skin, I could feel her bones and tendons. Since her stroke she had lost a lot of weight. Her left-side weakness had stolen her ability to swallow and the use of … Continue reading

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Four Ways to Be an Edgy Christian

Critics often call avant-garde movies and books “edgy”. Unfortunately, this usually means they are obscene or morally offensive, but “edgy” can mean cutting-edge and innovative. In this latter sense, it is good to be an edgy Christian. I must admit, … Continue reading

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Chasing God Part Three: Escape from Nazareth

I have raised a ladder against the wall of unbelief that surrounds my spiritual and cultural Nazareth–a place Jesus can do little because of my unbelief. Here is my escape plan, one rung at a time. Reading God’s Word with … Continue reading

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Chasing God Part Two: Living in Nazareth

Spiritually and intellectually I am a life-long citizen of Nazareth, but I desperately want out. Nazareth is, of course, the place Jesus grew up. They all knew him and his family. During his ministry Jesus made a stop in his … Continue reading

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