Author Archives: salooper57

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About salooper57

Husband, father, pastor, follower. I am a disciple of Jesus, learning how to do life from him. I read, write, walk, play a little guitar, enjoy my family.

Better Choose Plan-A When There Is no Plan-B

Posted on July 15, 2017 by salooper57

Christian theology teaches that the church was founded by Jesus and is the world’s most important institution. Perhaps institution is not the best word, since the church is not exactly institutional; it is a movement. But it might be better … Continue reading →

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No Symptoms Doesn’t Equal No Disease

Posted on July 8, 2017 by salooper57

I recently visited the nice people at Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo, Michigan for a coronary angiogram, with overnight accommodations, IVs, heart monitors, and blood draws as part of the all-inclusive package. How I got there is a long story, full … Continue reading →

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The Politicians Stopped Inviting Us to the Dance

Posted on July 1, 2017 by salooper57

For decades, when people spoke or wrote about the intersection of religious belief and political action, it was natural to refer to it in a kind of shorthand, “religion and politics,” with religion getting the more important seat at the … Continue reading →

Posted in In the News, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Heaven Does Not Have an EB-5 Visa Program

Posted on June 24, 2017 by salooper57

In recent weeks, many of us learned for the first time that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services offers an employment-based visa with permanent resident status to foreigners who are willing to invest large sums of money in commercial … Continue reading →

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The Spiritual Myopia Pandemic

Posted on June 17, 2017 by salooper57

There are about 97 million myopic people in the U.S., according to the American Optometric Association. I’m one of them. I was fitted for my first pair of corrective lenses in second grade. Because my vision continued to deteriorate (and … Continue reading →

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Better Off Dead: Life Beyond the Grave

Posted on June 10, 2017 by salooper57

Death has always been hard to understand – just try explaining it to a child. How strange it is to be speaking to a person you know one minute and find them absent the next. Their body is still present … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Faith, Peace with God | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Tie That Binds Can Also Tear Us Apart

Posted on June 4, 2017 by salooper57

Most Christian churches include a ritual meal in their worship liturgy. They refer to it in different ways – participating in the Lord’s Supper, taking Holy Communion, celebrating the Eucharist – and they take part in it with varying frequency. … Continue reading →

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If Today’s Media Had Reported on Jesus

Posted on May 27, 2017 by salooper57

Everything the President of the United States says is news. If he belches, international stock markets drop. If he bellows, nations flinch. If his speech is aggressive – and how often this president sounds aggressive – ambassadors phone home. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, In the News | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Banality of Evil and the Creativity of Good

Posted on May 20, 2017 by salooper57

One of the remarkable moments in the history of the twentieth century occurred near its close: the work of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. South Africa had been embroiled in decades of horrific racial violence. The Commission’s mandate … Continue reading →

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The Number One Rule in Great Story-Writing

Posted on May 13, 2017 by salooper57

A great storyteller can bring a character to life, metaphorically speaking. There’s no one who does it better than the novelist and poet Wendell Berry. His Port William “membership” is replete with memorable characters, and his Burley Coulter is one … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Christianity, Spiritual life, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments