“I’m tired of running this damn church.” If you’re a pastor who desperately wants to get the attention of your elders, try using a turn of phrase they aren’t expecting. That’s what Eugene Peterson did about 10 years into his efforts to launch a new congregation in suburban Baltimore. They had survived their first few difficult years. Pastor and people had worked… Read more »
As a native of the Hoosier capitol, I grew up loving the Indianapolis “500.” I have vivid memories of attending my first race in 1967. I sat in the first turn with my father and two brothers. Even though the race was halted after 18 laps because of a drenching rain that required a quarter million people to come back… Read more »
Samson is one of those Bible personalities who has been able to accomplish the near-impossible: make Sunday School interesting for elementary school-age boys. He was absurdly strong. His exploits were gloriously public. He singlehandedly leveled the playing field between the Israelites and their unfriendly next-door neighbors, the Philistines. But Samson’s story, which covers four chapters of the book of Judges (13-16),… Read more »
What’s the most pathetic / head-scratching / cringe-worthy verse in the Bible? There are numerous candidates. But one of the finalists has to be Exodus 32:24, where Aaron, Israel’s first high priest, abandons all leadership responsibility and accountability before his brother Moses. Moses has been up on Mt. Sinai for 40 days – receiving, among other things, the Ten Commandments. … Read more »
