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But Jesus isn’t White…and Why it Matters
Back when my husband was a youth pastor, one of his favorite object lessons was to print a bunch of images of Jesus and lay them on the floor. He would ask the teens to choose a picture that they resonated with and stand by it. He found some really crazy Jesus’s as well as more traditional ones. Sweet Jesus in white robes, surrounded by children. Tough Jesus, arm wrestling Satan. Gentle Jesus, holding a lamb. Powerful Jesus, calming the storm with one outstretched hand. Bad Ass Jesus, with his sleeve rolled up showing a “love” tattoo on his muscular arm. Hot Jesus, tall and handsome with a confident stride.…
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Christian Religion is Not Enough
I just finished a book called, Unveiling Grace, by Lynn K. Wilder. It’s the true story of a family finding their way out of Mormonism and into a relationship with the real Jesus. Amazingly, Lynn and her husband were converts to Mormonism as adults even though they were exposed to Christianity as children. Their story proves the burden on my heart. Christian religion is not enough. Attending church or Sunday school is not enough. Living a “good life” is not enough. I’m afraid the corporate American church is horribly broken. I’ve met a lot of people lately that agree with me. People who have left, and people who have stayed. Frustrated,…
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Fireflies, Chili, and Hope
“You are the light of the world…No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket…” Matthew 5:14-15. How strange would it be…if you sat on your porch one summer evening and watched as one firefly after another flew into an open container. Instead of floating free, blinking their lights in the summer dusk, the fireflies huddled together. Willing captives in a jar. And yet, I think many Christians do the same thing. Somehow, protection and safety have become more important than being the light of the world. They huddle together around common ideology and values. Protecting good things like marriage, family, the sanctity of life, and moral…
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The Elusive Knowledge of Good and Evil
“You won’t really die,” the serpent hissed. “God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God. You will know about good and evil.” What the serpent said made sense…maybe Eve was just confused. Maybe she had misunderstood God’s original instructions. The fruit was lovely to look at, and it would make them more like God. Why would God keep this knowledge from them? Surely, eating the fruit was the right thing to do… The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil offered an elusive promise. Forgetting she was already made in God’s image, and thinking she was becoming more like God,…
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Rediscovering Jesus – On a Mountain
Slowly the old man trudged up the trail, his feet weighed down more by dread than age. One hand clutched his staff, the other stroked a piece of flint he carried in his pocket. He could feel the knife on his belt bump against him with every step. Behind him strode a boy just stepping into manhood. Lean and agile, he hardly seemed to notice the weight of the wood strapped to his back. With eager eyes and sure feet, the hike up Mount Moriah was more adventure than effort for him. Suddenly, the boy stopped. “Father! I am carrying the wood for the sacrifice, and you have the knife…
