Bivocational ministry is on the increase. There are many people who see this as a positive thing. And, many of those people are not pastors. Bivocational ministry raises many challenges to those who are involved in it. On the one hand, it sounds great. What is not to love about bivocational ministry, particularly if you […]
Praying to God as to a slave
“The custom of speaking to God Almighty as freely as with a slave – caring nothing whether the words are suitable or not, but simply saying the first thing that comes to mind from being learnt by rote by frequent repetition – cannot be called prayer: God grant that no Christian may address Him in […]
All that is needed is the will to love
La Santa Teresa de Ávila is a most interesting saint. She had many quotable sayings. Among them is, “Prayer is an act of love; words are not needed. Even if sickness distracts from thoughts, all that is needed is the will to love.” She actually makes the same point that many of the Desert Fathers […]
When separatist fundamentalist becomes all, and in all
Recently, there was a mini-controversy in the media (and on Facebook™, which I am sure leaves no one surprised. We seem to live on offense and controversy these days. However, this particular one let’s me made an interesting point, and that has to do with our current American approach to nearly everything. Should you be […]
True Colors and mental health stress
You with the sad eyes Don’t be discouraged, oh I realize It’s hard to take courage In a world full of people You can lose sight of it all The darkness inside you Can make you feel so small Show me a smile then Don’t be unhappy Can’t remember when I last saw you laughing […]
Samwise Gamgee, the Blessed
Yesterday, I spoke about the various Ring-Bearers of the Silmarillion, the Hobbit, and the Trilogy of the Rings. I mentioned that Tom Bombadil is an exception to the stories of those who handled the Dark Ring. He was apparently not in the least affected. Four of the remaining five were seriously affected. But, if you […]
The sadness of Gollum
Gollum, Sméagol, is one of the more interesting characters in The Hobbit, and then in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He shows up over and over. But, he is also a very tragic figure. He ends up burnt to death in Mount Doom, never having managed to keep a hold of his precious. There is […]
Creativity and God
The Helping Hand by Iskander1989 on DeviantArt I like going to art sites in order to see what people are doing in the creative realm. Note: I also like reading, both for entertainment and to enjoy a well-crafted tale. There are challenges to going to an art site in that the human figure is often […]
The return of an old tract, best forgotten
Above is an image of an old tract that I have not seen for years. It mimics the USA $100 bill, with enough changes that it cannot get the user into trouble. If you look close on the front of the tract, you will see that it cites 2 Corinthians 13:5, which exhorts us to […]
Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees
At that time, the Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather; for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky […]
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