Holy Spirit as God’s Temple Presence
In a previous post, I started a three-part series on the Holy Spirit—a topic that is often either ignored or misunderstood among Christians. In that post we surveyed the Spirit’s “hovering” presence which brings about creation and new creation. But the Holy Spirit’s roles are as multifaceted as one would … Read More
Should You Read the Bible on Your Phone?
Have you ever heard a preacher discourage people from reading their Bible on their phones? If you haven’t, no doubt the very idea sounds silly. Why does it matter what format we use to read the Bible, just as long as we make sure we are reading it? Especially as … Read More
The Answer to Dealing with Technology: Becoming Pure in Heart
We live in an era of great evil where the atmosphere of our planet is literally saturated with every kind of sexually immoral act. In 2019, one major pornographic website reported that on average, every single day 15,958,080 hours of internet pornography was consumed on their site alone. If you … Read More
That They All May Be One
That They All May Be One Perspective on strong spiritual culture at a congregational level Why culture? It’s the only recorded prayer Jesus made for us who would follow him later: that we all would be one (John 17:21), that we would find the same unity among us that he … Read More
Phones, Meditation, and the Modern Christian
Now that technology has become such an ubiquitous part of our daily lives, it seems nostalgic to imagine life any other way. The past decade has seen rapid acceleration in society’s adaptation to a virtual lifestyle. Technological changes have been par for the course for a couple of centuries now, … Read More
Covid—and What Happened to Christianity
We’re all tired of hearing about Covid-19 by now. In the U.S., restrictions are lifting, and everyone is ready for the social effects of the pandemic to end. But even while it was in its heyday, I tried not to talk about it much. Few issues divide the church more, … Read More
Lessons from the Classroom
I can still remember all too well the familiar clench in my stomach as I sat at my desk, watching the hand of the clock as it inched slowly but inexorably towards 8:10, the fateful moment when the buzzer would ring and fourteen twelve-year-olds would come trooping through the door. … Read More
A Feast in the Wilderness
Feast and wilderness. These two words create an antithesis. Two words that create confusion in our minds through their dissonance. A wilderness is “an uncultivated, uninhabited, and inhospitable region.” A feast is “something that gives unusual or abundant enjoyment.” We only think about them simultaneously when we are longing for … Read More
Of Rumormongers, Scalding Coffee, and Gossip
“Now everyone knows, and I don’t even know how to act anymore.” She lifted her blue eyes to meet mine and a pained expression crossed her brow. I looked down, wrapped my fingers tighter around my coffee mug, and swallowed hard. I love this woman in front of me. She … Read More