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.

Why the Universe Has Wiggle Room

Posted on August 20, 2016 by salooper57

The renowned physicist John Archibald Wheeler summed up his long and illustrious career under three headings – three thematic periods that characterized his work. He called the first period, “Everything is Particles.” This covered the time when he worked alongside … Continue reading →

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The trouble with living a fantasy

Posted on August 13, 2016 by salooper57

When I was in college I had a brainstorm that caused a temporary power outage in my common sense. A bunch of us were hanging out and talking about what we could do for fun. Two of my best friends … Continue reading →

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I Resent That: The Art of Taking Offence

Posted on August 6, 2016 by salooper57

Once when I was preaching, two men stood up in the crowded auditorium and marched out. They did it in a way that was meant to draw attention to themselves. They wanted everyone to know they were offended. A week … Continue reading →

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The Surprising Problem of Prayer

Posted on July 30, 2016 by salooper57

In Christian devotional writings it is common to come across the phrase, “the problem of prayer.” The fact that prayer has problems is widely acknowledged, and the one that gets the most attention is the problem of unanswered prayers. For … Continue reading →

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Don’t Ignore the Past, Believe in the Future

Posted on July 23, 2016 by salooper57

There are two kinds of people at a party. There are those whose words and actions announce, “Here I am!” and those whose words and actions say, “There you are!” The “Here I am” person might be the life of … Continue reading →

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New Series

Posted on July 19, 2016 by salooper57

I’ve been preaching a new series on prayer at Lockwood Community Church in Coldwater, Michigan. It began on June 26, and you can hear that first message (titled, “Who Do You Think You’re Talking To?”) at http://lockwoodchurch.org/media Others in the … Continue reading →

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Life on a Spiral Staircase

Posted on July 16, 2016 by salooper57

When I was in school, English teachers all seemed to be cut from the same cloth – at least the younger ones. They must have all minored in psychology because they were always asking questions that were meant to get … Continue reading →

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The Perilous State of Religious Liberty

Posted on July 9, 2016 by salooper57

Religious liberty in the United States is in peril. Many of the people empowered to decide which behaviors merit civil protections and which do not are not religious people. They fail to understand religious liberty because they do not understand … Continue reading →

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Why Is it so Hard to Live in the Moment?

Posted on July 2, 2016 by salooper57

My wife and I are just back from a week on a large lake in Quebec. We left our car in a gravel lot that was slowly surrendering its borders to the encroaching wilderness, loaded our gear on a boat … Continue reading →

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How Should We Think About Immigrants?

Posted on June 25, 2016 by salooper57

We have heard more talk about immigrants and immigration policy this election season than any in memory, and the conversation has been highly charged. Since the issue is so prominent just now, it might be helpful to have a sketch … Continue reading →

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