Category Archives: Christianity

The Christian View of Wealth: A nuanced perspective from Jesus

Posted on January 14, 2023 by salooper57

Reading time: approximately 4 minutes. What is the Christian view of wealth? I don’t ask about the “religious view” of wealth because I am not qualified to present the views of other religions. Perhaps I should not even speak of … Continue reading →

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The Telescoping Reality (Luke 2:1-14)

Posted on January 1, 2023 by salooper57

Have you seen a telescoping spyglass? There is a wide cylinder in which a narrower cylinder rests, in which a yet narrower cylinder rests, and perhaps several more. I think our view of reality is likewise telescoping. We live in the narrow end and view our world through the lens of our own experiences. But we and our experiences are contained within a family circle, and our family circle exists within a community, and our community exists within a nation, and our nation exists within a world. Continue reading →

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Does God Want You to Be Happy?

Posted on December 31, 2022 by salooper57

In his classic story, The Last Battle, C. S. Lewis has the great Lion, the Christ figure Aslan, say to the story’s protagonists, “You do not yet look so happy as I mean you to be.” Perhaps Lewis put these words in the Christ figure’s mouth because he realized that this was the kind of thing the true Christ was saying to him. Continue reading →

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Get Ready, Get Set, and Wait: Observing Advent

Posted on November 26, 2022 by salooper57

Why do some churches begin their celebration of Advent, which is Latin for “arrival” and refers to Christ’s coming, a month before Christmas? Are they taking their cue from Walmart and trying to leverage the holiday to maximize worship attendance? … Continue reading →

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Judge Not, Lest You Be Judged!

Posted on November 1, 2022 by salooper57

Today, we’re looking at Jesus instructions that we should not judge/condemn other people. We’ll look at why we are so prone to disobeying Jesus in this regard and we’ll see what it was that he had in mind – it … Continue reading →

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As We Forgive Our Debtors

Posted on October 30, 2022 by salooper57

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass … Continue reading →

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Image Protection Systems and Us

Posted on October 29, 2022 by salooper57

Because this is true, people will fight even to protect the images that thwart their happiness: the loner, the rebel, the outcast, and the curmudgeon. “Victim” is an unflattering image, but many people cling to it. It affords a kind of status to some and provides an excuse to others. Continue reading →

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Avoid the Shortcuts (Following Christ Today)

Posted on October 18, 2022 by salooper57

This class follows Jesus’s warning against using religion to build a reputation. The instruction he gives is straightforward: Be careful not to do your righteousness before people to be seen by them. The temptation to build a reputation – to … Continue reading →

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Scientists Long for Meaning Too

Posted on October 15, 2022 by salooper57

(Approximate reading time: four minutes.) If I understand him correctly, the theoretical physicist Leonard Susskind, who teaches at Stanford, contends that matter entering a black hole is preserved in the form of data. Should a black hole consume our world, … Continue reading →

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Communities of Love and Belonging

Posted on October 1, 2022 by salooper57

The people of this generation are living through a sea change but as is often the case, those on the sea are liable not to notice it until it is too late. The term “sea change” has had two primary … Continue reading →

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