Got up this Sunday AM, fried an egg, grabbed my coffee and opened up the AP news on my laptop, to find a random attack at a Detroit area splash pool. A 42 year old man randomly walked up, fired at least 28 rounds, wounding nine with one in critical condition. He calmly left for home, where police soon found him—killed by his own hand.Since 2001, terrorism and random shootings, international and domestic. seem to fill our news. We call that evil, as we should. Yet…
Read MoreHug Your Cactus
Most Unconventional posts begin with a story or question, but let’s open with an extended quote by Robert Downey from a recent American Cinemateque ceremony. While receiving an award, Downey, well-known not just as Iron Man but for his previous struggles with substance abuse, gave some wisdom we can all use, in speaking about Mel Gibson:
“When I couldn’t get sober, he told me not to give up hope, and he urged me to find my faith. It didn’t have to be his faith or anyone else’s, as long as it was rooted in forgiveness…
Read MoreImperfect People and a Perfect God
Recently, a good FB friend, Bart, shared that he and his wife are leaving their church. Too many hypocrites, gossips, people who don’t live like Jesus. I get that; many have left churches for similar reasons. But we face a tension. None of us are perfect, as these words written to followers of Jesus affirm, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23). So, if we proclaim we follow Jesus and sin, are we hypocrites? If only perfect people are allowed in church, how many of us would qualify? But…
Read MoreFresh Cliches
Fresh clichés. An obvious paradox, right? Maybe not. I wonder about some clichés that often get ignored. Sunday worship as a fresh start on the first day of the week. A chance to get lost in worship, to acknowledge our shortcomings, to gain forgiveness. So true it’s become a cliché. But as a cliché for that, Sunday’s not enough. If I wait until Sunday for refreshing, I can accumulate…
Read MoreCold Turkey Temptation
I’ve known a number of people who, upon coming into a connection with Jesus, had their greatest temptation removed, instantly. Kind of cold turkey, but without the withdrawal issues. In my own life, that process has also occurred…once or twice. Seeing those who have gone cold turkey, we may expect that to be the norm. If so, might we unknowingly make ourselves more vulnerable with false expectations on…
Read MoreFreedom?
I suspect all who either follow Jesus or are intrigued with him know he yearns for behavioral change in his people. But how should we respond when we fail? What does that say about our faith?
Read MoreCancel Culture
“Cancel Culture” has become common term lately, regarding Civil War monuments, the Founding Fathers who owned slaves, or the comments and actions that others or companies make that we disagree with. Sometimes strongly. So, we boycott them. We try to eliminate them from public discourse. Dictionary.com defines it as when people “are said to be canceled after it has been discovered that they have done something offensive. It involves calling out the bad behavior, boycotting their work (such as by not watching their movies or listening to their music), and trying to take away their public platform and power. This is often done … on social media.”
Yes, this touches politics, but not here. Let’s focus on how we, as followers of Jesus…
Read MoreExulting in Guilt
I don’t get sin. Oh, I do it. And I like the classic definition of missing the mark. Not hitting the center of the target may not please God, but it doesn’t end the world. So why does God view sin as so…well, sinful? Worthy of death? Separation? He’s always required a life for us to gain forgiveness, either the earlier annual animal sacrifice, or that of his Son, Jesus. He doesn’t…
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