This week we welcome guest blogger, Kirk Marks. Kirk retired from a long career in pastoral ministry, denominational leadership and theological education. He now works in global fair trade. I love sci-fi like Star Trek and Star Wars. Think with me about the Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi. At the end of thatContinue reading “The end of 1st Samuel is like a military thriller – 1st Samuel 28-30, Part 3”
Tag Archives: star wars
God’s surprising role as judge – Advent Psalm of Celebration, Part 5
At the conclusion of Psalm 98, a psalm of joyous celebration, suddenly, all the joy and praise and glory seems to stop. Notice how the psalm concludes in verse 9b, “For he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.” Judge? What a different tone. WhatContinue reading “God’s surprising role as judge – Advent Psalm of Celebration, Part 5”
It is God’s armor, not ours – Ephesians 6:10-13, Part 5
I love Star Wars, and their recent show The Mandalorian is a favorite. The Mandalorian people in Star Wars are known for their impenetrable armor. They are able to defeat evil because of their armor. But what about us? How should we interact with evil? In our study of Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 6:10-13, heContinue reading “It is God’s armor, not ours – Ephesians 6:10-13, Part 5”
How should Christians respond to spiritual darkness – Ephesians 6:10-13, Preview
Tomorrow is October 1st, and the pumpkins and Halloween decorations are popping up all over my local community here in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Kids are talking about costumes and trick-or-treating. Among the princesses and super heroes we’ll see little ghouls, goblins, ghosts and gremlins walking around our neighborhoods. My personal opinion is that Halloween is oneContinue reading “How should Christians respond to spiritual darkness – Ephesians 6:10-13, Preview”
Does artificial intelligence make you nervous? – A Theology of AI, Preview
When you hear the words “artificial intelligence,” how do you feel? Do you feel uncertain? Maybe a little nervous? If you’ve been watching or reading the news over the last few years, you’ve almost certainly come across a story about the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). If you’ve been reading or watching science fiction, you’veContinue reading “Does artificial intelligence make you nervous? – A Theology of AI, Preview”
How to navigate the teen years (for parents and teens!) – Colossians 3:18-21, Part 4
I was a teenager in the 1990s, wonderful years filled with grunge rock (or for me U2, REM and Public Enemy), Michael Jordan, and Bill Clinton. It seems like just a few years ago, but it was in fact 30 years ago. Those were coming of age years for me. On January 1, 1990 IContinue reading “How to navigate the teen years (for parents and teens!) – Colossians 3:18-21, Part 4”
Examining the literal approach to reading the Bible [False ideas Christians believe about…the Bible. Part 4]
Did you ever hear the phrase that we need to read the Bible literally? In part 3 of this series we saw that a literal reading of some parts of the Bible leads to very bizarre results. Maybe the concept of reading the Bible literally should mean something else? Take Jesus. Jesus was a masterContinue reading “Examining the literal approach to reading the Bible [False ideas Christians believe about…the Bible. Part 4]”
Engaging Scripture 