Author Archives: salooper57

Unknown's avatar

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.

It’s Not Magic, You Know – Never Believe It Is So

Posted on June 4, 2016 by salooper57

It is common among academics, particularly those whose discipline is anthropology, to think of religion and magic as closely related expressions of the human desire to control one’s environment. Indeed, not just closely related but inextricably bound. There is certainly … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Discrimination in America: Who’s Next?

Posted on May 21, 2016 by salooper57

In the past, to be called “discriminating” was high praise. We rarely hear the adjective used that way (or used at all) anymore, but the noun and verb are everywhere. News stories about discrimination are an almost daily occurrence. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, In the News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

God Wants Our Nine-to-Five

Posted on May 14, 2016 by salooper57

According to a popular (and probably apocryphal) story, a man once came to Martin Luther and asked the great reformer what he could do to serve God. Luther asked him what he was currently doing for work, and he replied … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Faith, Lifestyle, Spiritual life | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Risk Assessment and Management for Children

Posted on May 10, 2016 by salooper57

Risk assessment is the science of determining two things: the likelihood of a given occurrence and the degree of potential loss. Let’s say I want to do a risk assessment of the likelihood that my pregnant daughter-in-law will be bitten … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Spiritual life, Theology | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Importance of Staying Limber

Posted on April 30, 2016 by salooper57

In Christian circles there is a high degree of suspicion towards people whose beliefs are constantly changing. We applaud Luther for his “Here I stand; I can do no other” attitude but we deplore Bunyan’s Mr. Pliable. Luther stands strong … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Faith, Spiritual life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mary Magdalene’s and John bar Zebedee’s Easter Stories

Posted on April 26, 2016 by salooper57

The following is a piece I wrote for Lockwood Community Church’s 2016 Easter Sunrise Service. The actors, Sarah Asher and Glenn Snapp, made the script better than it is, but I share it with you anyways in the hope you’ll … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Faith, Spiritual life, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Power We So Blithely Invoke

Posted on April 23, 2016 by salooper57

Sometimes God scares me. Not like an angry parent scares a cowering child. It’s not like that at all. Still less like a bully scares a retiring classmate. “Scares” is probably not even the right word. “Awes” would be better, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Christianity, Faith, Spiritual life, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Books I Wish Someone Would Write

Posted on April 16, 2016 by salooper57

I recently saw an article about books that someone should write. Christian leaders had been interviewed about the kind of books they would like to read and, while I admit I found most of their suggestions uninteresting, I found the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Story of God (Biblical Version)

Posted on April 9, 2016 by salooper57

National Geographic is currently showing a five-part television miniseries titled, “The Story of God.” That a geographical society (rather than a theological one) is telling the story leads me to expect that it will not be about God as much … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Faith, In the News, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Misdiagnosing the Disordered Soul

Posted on April 2, 2016 by salooper57

I left home for a breakfast meeting early one cold morning a month or two ago, and my car refused to get up and go. A half-mile down the road and I still hadn’t reached thirty miles-per-hour. I had already … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments