Category Archives: On the way to Sunday’s sermon

Grabbing for Glory Last week  we talked about Jacob reaching after the glory of the things around him that attracted him and how through power we cannot attain glory. Last week I also was pointed to a terrific speech given by … Continue reading →

Here I am standing next to my big sister looking at my grandmother’s bird. I don’t remember the moment but it isn’t hard to know what is going through my toddler mind. I like the bird. I want to touch the … Continue reading →

The most important thing about the “Jacob’s ladder” story is what we learn about Jacob himself. He can’t take yes for an answer. Jacob and his mother Rebekah have managed to undermine two of the most formidable ancient power structures, … Continue reading →

“The Hedge of Protection Removed!” Since the attacks of 9/11/2001 it is not uncommon to hear Christian groups asserting that those attacks were revelatory in terms of God’s relationship with the United States. There are numerous variants of the argument … Continue reading →

What is God For? Elizabeth Gilbert was unhappy. On the outside she had what many of us want. She was successful in her career as an author, she lived in a large beautiful home, and she had a husband who … Continue reading →

Losing His First Born At the feast for Laughter, its darker side, mockery, emerges. We normally forget the fact that Ismael was Abraham’s firstborn son. In Sarah’s zealous clutching at her own idols comes the first demand for the death … Continue reading →

An Economy of Idols We live our lives within an economy of idols. Idols are elements of our identity that we elevate in order to create an elevated self, enduring self. We imagine that this constructed self, made from what … Continue reading →

Our Complaint of a Negligent God The reason many people who don’t believe in God give for their unbelief is that the presence of evil seen today seems incompatible with the existence of an all knowing, all powerful, all good … Continue reading →