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.

Shame and Shamelessness in Contemporary Culture

Posted on April 1, 2017 by salooper57

“I feel like a garbage can, full of ugly, nasty things.” That’s how a young woman once described herself to me. She was in her late teens or early twenties, and had been raised with a sexually abusive father until … Continue reading →

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What’s Wrong with Making America Great Again?

Posted on March 25, 2017 by salooper57

President Trump campaigned on a simple promise: he would make America great again. His rhetoric about America’s decline and her need for renewal resonated with enough voters to usher him into the Oval Office. The opposition scorned Trump’s message. Mrs. … Continue reading →

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Is it Possible to Say Anything True About God?

Posted on March 18, 2017 by salooper57

Do a Google search for God and you’ll have over one-and-a-half trillion results to wade through. People think and talk a lot about God. What they mean when they talk about him, though, is not always clear. Who or what … Continue reading →

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Why Do People Fast During Lent?

Posted on March 12, 2017 by salooper57

The students in our church have begun what they’re calling “Fast Week.” It has nothing to do with how fast they drive their cars or how quickly they can get what they want. Quite the contrary: it’s about their willingness … Continue reading →

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Raise a Cup of Bile to Our Enemy

Posted on March 4, 2017 by salooper57

A recent study suggests that people bond more securely over shared dislikes than over mutual enthusiasms. Spouses will apparently attach more closely over a common hatred for hip-hop than over a shared love for Mozart. It’s the old, “The enemy … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Church, In the News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Reading the Bible Through Red, White, and Blue Lenses

Posted on February 25, 2017 by salooper57

There is no reference to America in the Bible, though some prophecy buffs have tried hard to find one. I tried too, when I was a young Christian. Surely, I thought, the United States of America, the most powerful country … Continue reading →

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The Dance That Must Be Learned

Posted on February 18, 2017 by salooper57

St. Paul wrote that God “comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” “That’s nice,” I say, but not with much enthusiasm, because deep … Continue reading →

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Living with Courage, Dying with Dignity

Posted on February 11, 2017 by salooper57

What does it take to die with dignity? If one looks at the website of the “Death with Dignity National Center” and “Death with Dignity Political Fund,” one will assume that a death with dignity involves certain standard components, among … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, In the News, Lifestyle, Peace with God | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Awash

Posted on February 4, 2017 by salooper57

I once asked a retired public school teacher friend what was the biggest change during his thirty years of teaching, from the sixties to the nineties. Without even taking time to reflect he answered: “The language people use – both … Continue reading →

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Should the Church Support a Political Party?

Posted on January 28, 2017 by salooper57

America is more sharply divided than it has been in my lifetime, and it is not just a political divide. It is an ideological one, and it has led to an almost compulsive distrust. Few on either side show respect … Continue reading →

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