Spilled Coffee on Ancient Scrolls
Finding Ways to Live as Humans Fully Alive
A short while before Jesus walked the earth and the Romans conquered the western world, Antiochus IV ruled Judea. He was a Seleucid (Greek) and he didn’t like the Jews. He thought they were too…uncivilized and uncouth. And so, in an attempt to bring them kicking and screaming into the 2nd century BC, he passed …
How did communion turn into a place to exclude people? And what did Jesus expect when he held up the bread and the cup, declaring them to be His body and blood?
If you ever had any doubt whatsoever that the Church was patriarchal, consider the fact that the very first BIG fight the early Christians got into was over what the penis should look like (Acts 15).
In John 4, Jesus taught that true worship must be done “in spirit” because God is spirit. Now, granted, this phrase is quite nebulous and open to a wide variety of interpretations. But what did Jesus mean? A part of the answer lies in a very ancient tradition that turned to silence to solve this …
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. I was in first grade the first time I participated in an Ash Wednesday service. I attended a parochial school, and our teacher, a very stern nun, paraded us into the chapel where we all knelt and were told to be still and quiet, an …
Continue reading "Ashes, Tattoos, the Sign of the Cross, and My Friend Connie"
Will there be heat in Hell? And if so, will it be wet or dry? I think it’s safe to say that the general consensus is that Hell should be as miserable as possible; therefore, reason would lead us to conclude that Hell is a wet heat. But we can’t be sure with just reason, …
The word “heretic” is often thrown around today to denounce someone for espousing an idea deemed “unbiblical” or “unorthodox” or “contrary to the teachings of the church.” It carries a negative connotation, often meant to cast a poor soul out of a community to be shunned, exiled, and sometimes even tortured with words or sharp implements. And in extreme cases, killed and ultimately damned. But as one looks at the history of heretics, one finds quite a few surprises.
Imagine Moses at the Red Sea with a large group of his fellow kinsman huddled together after a long and hard run. Now imagine the most powerful army in the world at the time (the Egyptians) racing toward them bent on slaughtering them all. If ever there was a moment to need a change of …
Continue reading "Feeling Anxious or Angry? The Psalms Can Help"
When despair for the world grows in me, there are many things I turn to for healing and hope. Wendell Berry is one of them.
Loving God with our mind used to be a crucial part of Christian culture. We strove to be the smartest people in the room. Not anymore.
Spilled Coffee on Ancient Scrolls 