Monthly Archives: February 2022

The Power of Always Trying Again

Posted on February 12, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: 3 to 4 minutes) The title of a recent Christianity Today article caught my attention. It read, “I’ve Reached My Breaking Point as a Pastor.” The article cited a new Barna study that “discovered that 38 percent of … Continue reading →

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Joseph of Arimethea: The Secret Disciple (Wide Angle)

Posted on February 10, 2022 by salooper57

It is difficult enough to move on after each of the earlier posts in this series, but it is even more difficult to move on after such an inadequate treatment of the crucifixion of Jesus. Saying that we have gazed … Continue reading →

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Passover and Exodus (Video Embedded)

Posted on February 8, 2022 by salooper57

On Sunday, I was only able to post a link to the church’s website for this Biblical Theology class on Exodus12-15. The video for the class is embedded below.

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Example, Savior, Shepherd: 1 Peter 2:21-25

Posted on February 7, 2022 by salooper57

e that I discovered that not all Christians think alike. The larger church is divided into smaller camps. At college, I began to learn more about these camps. There were of course the Catholics. From the snatches I heard said about Catholics, I concluded that few (if any) were really Christians at all. There were the liberals, who were only humanists (that was the derision de jour at the time) in Chrisitan’s clothing. And then there was “us,” the real Christians.

But even among us, there were camps. There were the Calvinists (who weren’t any fun at all), the fundamentalists (who didn’t want anyone to have any fun at all), and the Pentecostals (who were having all the fun, speaking in tongues and getting slain in the Spirit).

Somehow, I learned these things without ever talking to a Catholic, a liberal, or a Pentecostal. In the years since, I’ve spoken to all these folks and many at length. I’ve learned that talking about people reinforces stereotypes while talking to people tears them down. Continue reading →

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Passover and Exodus (Biblical Theology Class #5 )

Posted on February 6, 2022 by salooper57

As Christians look at the death of Christ on the cross and his subsequent resurrection as the event that sealed their redemption, first century Jews looked at Passover and the subsequent Exodus as the event that sealed their redemption. A … Continue reading →

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The Key to Ending the Culture Wars

Posted on February 5, 2022 by salooper57

Ukraine is and has been a divided nation. Each of its major regions has a unique history and a character shaped by long interaction with neighbors. There are language differences between east and west. In fact, while most Ukrainians can understand and speak Russian, most cannot speak Ukrainian. Such a conflict, rooted in differences in language, history, and values, might well be called a “culture war.” Continue reading →

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Wide Angle: The Cross Divides

Posted on February 2, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: Approximately 7 minutes) Have you ever noticed that as soon as Jesus’s Cross was dropped into place it began dividing people? St. Paul speaks of this in 1 Corinthians 1. The message of the cross is foolishness to … Continue reading →

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