Categotry Archives: food for thought

by

Eskatology…I Mean, Eschotallogie…Eschagolity…Oh, Never Mind

7 comments

Categories: food for thought, theological questions

I have to admit that eschotolligy the study of the end of time has never been a popular topic with me, nor am I the person you want teaching about it on Sunday. I have no charts, no graphs, no timelines…and I wouldn’t trust them if I did.

I’m sure some of my aversion goes back to when I was a kid. I was raised on pre-tribulation rapture theology, coupled with my own brand of self-imposed legalism, because I had a tormenting sense of conscience…which meant I spent much of my “tween” years fearful of missing the rapture by some sin I might commit that might disqualify me moments before it happened. (I’m sure watching those cheesy “Thief in the Night” films they were showing in church in those days didn’t help much. Those movies scared me snotless.)

This is a preview of Eskatology…I Mean, Eschotallogie…Eschagolity…Oh, Never Mind. Read the full post (661 words, 1 image, estimated 2:39 mins reading time)

by

One Hand Tied Behind Our Back

3 comments

Categories: food for thought, healing wounds, Meanderings (look it up)

Studying the humanities in college (the study of man’s achievements in art, literature, architecture, science, etc.) was a pretty awesome experience for me. There are some folks, especially in religious circles, who look at the advancements we’ve made as a race and see nothing but our pride and rebellion. And I admit that factor exists. But when I look at all we’ve been able to create over the centuries, all we’ve been able to discover, to figure out…all the beauty, inspiration, engineering feats, and the like…I can’t help but see the truth that man was created in the image of God. We create, because we are made in the image of a Creator. And when we create, I think it is a reflection of God’s glory, even though sometimes we turn it to glorify ourselves. It is still the image-of-God factor inside us that enables us to achieve. And that goes for women as well as men.

So in the light of some of the recent discussions we’ve had on this blog…I invite you to ponder something with me:

This is a preview of One Hand Tied Behind Our Back. Read the full post (436 words, 2 images, estimated 1:45 mins reading time)

by

Lose the Bathwater, Keep the Baby

9 comments

Categories: changing mindsets, food for thought, theological questions

Two things you should know about me:

  1. I’m a student of human nature.
  2. I have a tendency to see patterns.

These two things combined can get me in a lot of trouble sometimes, because sometimes they lead me to do the math when it would be better to let things ride and not draw conclusions. But at other times they help me have some insight, to make sense of things going on around me, and to know what, if anything, I can do about them.

This is a preview of Lose the Bathwater, Keep the Baby. Read the full post (1395 words, 2 images, estimated 5:35 mins reading time)

by

Hurricanes and Change

7 comments

Categories: food for thought, Meanderings (look it up)

In a couple of weeks, the hurricane season officially begins. I think hurricanes are captivating, a wonder to behold.

From the space shuttle.

I don’t live on the east coast or Gulf coast, and from June to December I am glad of that. Every time I am tempted to leave it all behind and find some tropical paradise somewhere to live out my days in relaxation and obscurity…I remember: “Hey, they gots HURRICANES down there!!” And I come back to reality, very thankful that, although I love to visit the ocean, I can go home if a hurricane threatens.

Hurricanes are of the devil. Or are they?

This is a preview of Hurricanes and Change. Read the full post (452 words, 2 images, estimated 1:48 mins reading time)

by

Not What We Believe, But How We Believe

8 comments

Categories: changing mindsets, food for thought

Ellen Haroutunian recently posted a thought-provoking piece about the church’s subtle shift in the focus of our worship, how we have made an idol of orthodoxy rather than following the living Christ. Worth the time to read, but my mind has taken a rabbit trail on a few of her thoughts…particularly when she shares how easily tempers can flare when someone even suggests we have a problem in this area. Here’s a snippet from her post:

This is a preview of Not What We Believe, But How We Believe. Read the full post (1733 words, 1 image, estimated 6:56 mins reading time)

by

I Can’t Help It…I Have to Try and Make Your Brain Ache

12 comments

Categories: food for thought, Things that make our brains hurt

So…deal with this…

Entry #264 from the Official Collection of Proverbs and Random Thoughts from Jeff the Twisted, Slightly Off-Center Philosopher:

God cannot be defined, but only described.

Think. Ponder. Grapple. Evaluate. Take painkiller.
True? Or not?
Discuss.

Bookmark and Share

Permanent link to this post (40 words, 2 images, estimated 10 secs reading time)

by

Why Does He Insist On Making Our Brains Hurt Like This? Doesn’t He Have Anything Better to Do?

8 comments

Categories: food for thought, theological questions, Things that make our brains hurt

Don’t know why I was thinking about this…but during the Off the Map Conference in Denver last fall, Matt Casper (co-author of the book Jim and Casper Go to Church) sat down with Jim Henderson (the other co-author) and had a Q & A session with the audience.

This is a preview of Why Does He Insist On Making Our Brains Hurt Like This? Doesn’t He Have Anything Better to Do?. Read the full post (456 words, 1 image, estimated 1:49 mins reading time)

by

Sexism by Default: Why Men Must Not Be Passive

17 comments

Categories: current issues, food for thought, healing wounds

I think every experience can provide an opportunity to learn; and the recent dialogue that took place on Jonathan Brink’s blog concerning the Origins project is no exception. (If you’re just tuning in, click these three links to catch up.)

First, let me make clear that this post is not to discuss Origins specifically; as far as I am concerned, the issue in question was resolved; I am very thankful for the action that was taken, and I support Origins’ efforts and wish them nothing but the best. Rather, it is the rest of us, the ones who participated in this discussion about the equality of women in the church–and the ones who continue to view it from a distance–who need to take a look at the bigger picture and learn from this experience.

This is a preview of Sexism by Default: Why Men Must Not Be Passive. Read the full post (1212 words, 2 images, estimated 4:51 mins reading time)
1 2 … 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 … 26 27