Monthly Archives: March 2024

A Child Shall Lead Them: Lesson in Patience and Grace

Posted on March 30, 2024 by salooper57

My wife and I have been nomads since last November. After thirty-five years, I left my position as senior pastor of the church we love and, though I was open to new employment opportunities, it seemed that we were retired. … Continue reading →

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Holy Saturday: Waiting in the Shadow of Uncertainty

Posted on March 23, 2024 by salooper57

In his song “Maranatha,” Michael Card sings that “waiting is the most bitter lesson a believing heart has to learn.” I understand the sentiment, but doesn’t it depend on what kind of waiting we are doing? Waiting for the birth … Continue reading →

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Believing in Jesus: Not “For Once and for All,” but “For Once and for Always”

Posted on March 19, 2024 by salooper57

I preached this as a candidate for the pastoral ministry at California Road Missionary Church – my first time preaching a candidate’s sermon in 35 years! You can read the sermon below, or you can watch it on Cal Road’s … Continue reading →

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Palm Sunday: Why Is It Called That?

Posted on March 16, 2024 by salooper57

This is the time of the year that churches celebrate Palm Sunday and commemorate what is popularly known as the “Triumphal Entry.” What is the origin of Palm Sunday, and why is it significant? The original Palm Sunday took place … Continue reading →

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Old Dogs and Old Tricks

Posted on March 15, 2024 by salooper57

My wife and I finished up at our beloved church at the end of October, then spent two months in Texas to be near our son and his family. It was a good time. We got to see our 2-year-old … Continue reading →

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Whether Science or Theology, the Proof Is in the Pudding

Posted on March 9, 2024 by salooper57

Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr, two of the greatest minds of the twentieth century, engaged in a decades-long disagreement over the nature of physical reality, and particularly over quantum mechanics. Einstein rejected Bohr’s idea of quantum entanglement as “spooky action … Continue reading →

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Judas and the Roots of Betrayal

Posted on March 2, 2024 by salooper57

People have wondered what motivated Judas to betray Jesus for almost two millennium. There has been much speculation, from scholars and lay people alike, but it has been just that: speculation. However, we do know of two things in Judas’s … Continue reading →

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