Category: Theology
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Heaven is a Playground
Pop culture is replete with characterizations of Christians as being sour, dull, and way too serious about life. As a Christian, it’s easy to dismiss these characterizations as being unfair. But, that lets us off the hook too easily. And, well, it’s just a sour, dull and way too serious answer to the often hilarious characterizations…
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Bonhoeffer and the Holier Angel
Dietrich Bonhoeffer made mistakes, but he understood the value of grace and repentance. When Hitler began to demand allegiance from pastors in Germany, Bonhoeffer fled to the United States. Not long after his arrival, he realized his wrong decision and returned to Germany to participate in efforts to overthrow the evils of Nazism. Six years later, Bonhoeffer was…
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The Busloads to Hell
Whether in the mind or the heart or in reality, hell is not a place that anyone wants to be. But people go there. By the busloads. Every moment. And no one, not even God, is sending them to hell. Hell is “the greatest monument to human freedom,” C.S. Lewis says. The occupants of hell…
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Jesus is the Poor
When we were kids, my parents would take us to church. And when it came time for the deacons to pass the offering plate down our pew, my mom would open her purse and put a quarter in our hands. It was for us to drop it in the plate. It was a simple lesson,…
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Actually, Balaam’s Ass Was Right
Balaam’s ass was a hero that deserves more press. (You can read the story of Balaam’s ass here.) She was afraid when she needed to be afraid. And she did what she could to obey God. Balaam’s ass became particularly precious to me about fifteen years ago. I had been invited to an exclusive dinner party.…
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Theology in the Details
Perhaps you’ve seen it. Michelangelo’s Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome is glorious. And, he is naked. There’s a lot of nakedness on the ceiling of that church. And, not just physical nakedness. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is one of the most familiar collective works of art in the…