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In Defense of Biblical Fiction
In college, I took a course on French Medieval literature. In it we studied a French miracle. The common people had no ability to read the Bible for a multitude of reasons. The active suppression of Biblical literacy is a discussion for another time. Miracle plays were performed to teach biblical truths to an illiterate population. They didn’t necessarily portray miracles; the word is derived from the Latin for wonder. I love that. Because these plays truly leave you with a sense of wonder – in both senses. Awe at how holy God is and wonder as in seeking answers. One play gave me a deeper appreciation for Jesus’s sacrifice and for…
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What If? – Shepherds
“I’ve got a book for you.” That’s my tagline. This time, it’s one that will help you reflect on Jesus’s earthly ministry as we prepare to celebrate His death and resurrection. It’s a blended harmony of the Gospels broken into 40 days of readings. Although my recommendation comes a little late for this year, it’s a perfect Lenten devotion. Any time of year, though, you can enjoy this cohesive narrative compiled from the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It’s available from Amazon here. I’ve been reading it in preparation for an Easter short story I’ll be releasing soon. If you read my Advent series, you’ll be familiar with…
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It Is Finished
This is our hope: For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day. – John 6:40 As an evangelical, the thing I miss most about my liturgical church is the liturgical calendar. Holy days don’t sneak up on you. When Christmas comes around, you’ve got 4 weeks of preparation under your belt. You are spiritually prepared to celebrate our Savior’s birth. It’s the same with Easter. In the liturgical church, it’s not a “Don’t blink or you’ll miss it” affair. You’ve got 40 days to reflect…
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Worthy of Our Worship
I am Yahweh; that is my name. I will not give my glory to anyone else or the praise I deserve to idols. – Isaiah 42:8 (Names of God version) I went to a wonderful exhibit this weekend, Discovering the World of Jesus. There were several ossuaries including the one believed to have held the bones of James, the brother of Jesus. There’s evidence that two of the others held the bones of John the Baptist and Zechariah, his father. They were amazing, but the artifact that caught my eye was an incense shovel. What stopped me in my tracks so I could get a good picture? Take a closer look.…
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Holiness
Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” Exodus 3:5 This week’s attribute may seem like a contradiction to last week’s friendly, sociable, genial qualities. Yahweh is both sociable and holy–set apart. Holiness is separateness. He is set apart from sin and set apart to moral perfection. How can He be both? By His mercy and grace. Ann Spangler says it so well: In his holiness, God exists above and apart from the world he has made. The kicker is this: How can a holy God who can have no communion with sin have anything to…
