Scripture
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Let me begin by saying that I shy away from the term “Old Testament”. Yes, I’m one of those people. My concern with the name (and its companion, the New Testament) is not that they aren’t PC enough. It is that they are too narrowly prescriptive and restrict the beauty and depth of our scripture.…
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I remember a point in my life, not a precise moment, but a time period, in which I realized that the Bible had a lot more in there than I had learned in Sunday School. I was probably 10. We were talking about Samson and his super powers and his kryptonite magic hair and I…
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The psalms are the odd duck of the Bible. As a book of Scripture, they stick out. They are like the weird friend who is an exceptional pianist or the anti-social kid who can make exceptional speeches. The Psalms are remarkable reading. But they aren’t a story. They don’t tell the story of creation or the birth of…
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We’re in church to worship. And after the big opening, we slow it down, like the second track on an album; it’s time to have a seat, relax, and listen. Not all groups do worship the same way, but we nearly always read scripture. Arguably, it is the one constant. Even without music or prayer…
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Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us; look, and see our disgrace! Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to aliens. We have become orphans, fatherless; our mothers are like widows. We must pay for the water we drink; the wood we get must be bought. With a yoke on our necks…
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You can’t save yourself, but… A couple of months ago, my neighbors put out a simple yard sign with an open book and block letters across it. The sign read: I drove by it many times, each one thinking “I know which neighbor I don’t need to invite over for Christmas dinner.” Or maybe I…