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.

Can You Hear Me Now? (1 Samuel 2-3)

Posted on June 13, 2021 by salooper57

Listening time: Approximately 25 minutes.

Posted in Bible, Sermons, Spiritual life | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Life on Earth: Comedy or Tragedy?

Posted on June 12, 2021 by salooper57

We owe the words “comedy” and “tragedy” to the ancient Greeks, whose stage plays in the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. gave rise to the terms. A hundred years of films and about 80 years of commercial television have left us thinking that comedies are comic and tragedies are sad. The Greeks were more nuanced.

Tragedy may contain humorous moments and funny characters, but what makes a tragedy tragic is that it ends badly. The hero fails, the aspiration goes unfulfilled, night falls. Continue reading →

Posted in Theology, Worldview and Culture | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

What Does the Author of Hebrews Mean by “Made Perfect”?

Posted on June 10, 2021 by salooper57

I was reading Scot McKnight’s book, Embracing Grace, and was surprised to see how he correlates the author of Hebrews use of the term “made perfect” (τελειωθεὶς) with the resurrection. In Hebrews 5:8-9, we read that the Son “learned obedience … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Theology | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Convergence

Posted on June 7, 2021 by salooper57

God is working in our lives and world, but we are liable to miss it because we are expecting something else: something obvious, something “religious,” something extraordinary. But in Samuel we learn that God works through the mundane events of life, its pleasures and its pains. Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Spiritual life, Worldview and Culture | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Learning Theology at the County Fair

Posted on June 5, 2021 by salooper57

I went to my first county fair during the summer between sixth and seventh grade. My friend’s parents took us, and we boys headed immediately to the midway to scope out the rides. The first one we tried was “The … Continue reading →

Posted in Peace with God, Theology | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Nothing Fails Like Success

Posted on June 4, 2021 by salooper57

Failure sometimes follows close on the heels of success. The person who gets the dream job (success) allows that job to take the place of their spouse (failure). He or she gets promotions but ends up with a divorce.

The child of an alcoholic vows never to be like his dad. He doesn’t drink (success). But the resentment he carries around with him damages his own kids (failure), and they choose to get back at their dad by – what else? – drinking. Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Sermons | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Failure: Not the Last Word (1 Kings 19)

Posted on June 2, 2021 by salooper57

Everyone fails but not everyone rebounds from failure. What – or who – makes the difference?

Posted in Bible, Sermons, Spiritual life | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Share Your Favorite Books (Just for fun Sunday)

Posted on May 30, 2021 by salooper57

When I am in an airport, sitting in the blue vinyl chairs (why are they always blue?), and one person out of the 200 surrounding me is reading a book, I am immediately curious about that person – and their … Continue reading →

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

How to Stay Christian After Graduation

Posted on May 29, 2021 by salooper57

In a study of peer influence, psychologists displayed three charts, each with three lines of different lengths, to groups of ten teens. The teens were asked to raise their hands when the teacher pointed to the longest line on each chart. The teens in each group, minus one, had been secretly instructed to raise their hands when the teacher pointed to the second longest line. 75 percent of the time, the lone teen, wanting to blend in, joined the others in casting a wrong vote. Blending in can be deadly to the spiritual life. Continue reading →

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

Envisioning a Changed Life

Posted on May 24, 2021 by salooper57

Jesus presents this life as free from the terrible burden of anger. And anger is a terrible burden to bear. It is like carrying a heavy wire basket full of knives, with points sticking out on top, bottom, and all four sides. You try to hold it away from your body, but whenever you get tired and let down your guard, you get poked. You try to shift the weight, but it happens again and again. And it’s not just you: the people close to you keep getting hurt. Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Peace with God, Spiritual life | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment