A couple weeks ago I sent a church-wide email with resources for tending to our mental health. I had received it from Messiah University, and I adapted it for our church. I sent it along because God cares about our mental health. I heard back from a number of people expressing their thanks because 2020Continue reading “The Uberman Sleep Cycle, Time Travel, and figuring out God’s Plan – Ecclesiastes 8:16-9:10, Part 1”
Monthly Archives: November 2020
How to have and express joy in the difficulties of 2020 – Ecclesiastes 8:9-15, Part 3
It can seem almost wrong to say that we should have joy in 2020. This year has been a nonstop slog of hardship. And yet, in the previous post we learned that God is and always will be actively involved in the world. As a result, it makes perfect sense how the Teacher concludes thisContinue reading “How to have and express joy in the difficulties of 2020 – Ecclesiastes 8:9-15, Part 3”
What to remember when life seems unfair or hopeless – Ecclesiastes 8:9-15, Part 2
Sometimes life DOES seem hopeless. How do we live wisely then? This week on the blog, we’re studying Ecclesiastes 8:9-15, and yesterday we saw how the Teacher (the writer of Ecclesiastes) suggests that life can be so unfair. Let’s follow the Teacher’s logic: Here are verses 12-14 in Dorsey’s translation: “12 Nevertheless, although a wickedContinue reading “What to remember when life seems unfair or hopeless – Ecclesiastes 8:9-15, Part 2”
Sick and tired of 2020? – Ecclesiastes 8:9-15, Part 1
This fall I’m teaching an online class: The Gospels, the Life of Jesus. In a recent assignment the students were to find a current events article that somehow connects to what we had been studying in the Gospel of Mark. One student found an article which reported that more than likely, even if there isContinue reading “Sick and tired of 2020? – Ecclesiastes 8:9-15, Part 1”
How Christians need to be like the Human Carpet after the election – Current Events 2020 Q4, Part 5
Have you heard of the Human Carpet? He gets paid to go to parties where people can walk all over him. They can jump on him. Sit on him for hours. Surf on him. One time he did this for 11 straight hours! He wraps himself in a carpet, lays down and has never been hurtContinue reading “How Christians need to be like the Human Carpet after the election – Current Events 2020 Q4, Part 5”
How the surprise vine in my garden taught me about how Christians should live after the election – Current Events 2020 Q4, Part 4
This year we had a large vine growing in our garden. It was a vine we did not plant. I wondered if it was a weed, but it looked familiar, and it didn’t strike me as a weed. So we let it grow, and as the weeks went by we watched as this plant tookContinue reading “How the surprise vine in my garden taught me about how Christians should live after the election – Current Events 2020 Q4, Part 4”
What Christians need to do as we wait for the election results – Current Events 2020 Q4, Part 3
Election Day 2020 has come and gone. I’m writing on November 4, the day after the election, and millions of mail-in ballots are still being counted, leaving the results of the presidential election undecided. We are in a liminal moment, waiting, feeling unsettled, or as one humorist quipped, “It’s like the entire nation is onContinue reading “What Christians need to do as we wait for the election results – Current Events 2020 Q4, Part 3”
How a unique surgery helped me know what to do after voting – Current Events 2020 Q4, Part 2
An acquaintance of Michelle and mine recently had a terrible accident at his work. He is a contractor and was operating a cement mixer, got his hands caught in there, and the machine did serious damage to both hands. One hand was far worse than the other, and for that hand surgeons are attempting aContinue reading “How a unique surgery helped me know what to do after voting – Current Events 2020 Q4, Part 2”
I voted…now what? – Current Events 2020 Q4, Part 1
Our country is divided. It is not just division about who we are going to vote for. Our division goes far deeper than that. We are deeply divided about what we think is best for the country. Interestingly, what I have noticed is that both of the major political parties believe they are promoting whatContinue reading “I voted…now what? – Current Events 2020 Q4, Part 1”
Engaging Scripture 