Category Archives: Theology

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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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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Things you might not know about Easter

Posted on March 26, 2016 by salooper57

Everyone knows about Easter. Jelly beans, colored eggs, and dress clothes. Big dinners. And the whole religious thing. What else is there to know? There’s plenty. For example, did you know that the word “Easter” is derived from the name … Continue reading →

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A humbler approach to the Bible

Posted on February 13, 2016 by salooper57

My doctor referred me to a vascular surgeon for a consult. The surgeon’s assistant led me to an examination room and went over my paperwork, asked a bunch of questions, then told me I’d have to strip down to my … Continue reading →

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Bible reading for rugged individualists

Posted on February 6, 2016 by salooper57

(Note: The effects of strident individualism on theology generally and on biblical interpretation specifically deserves a more developed treatment. I hope this article will wet some readers appetite to go further. ) Herbert Hoover, that stalwart Republican champion of smaller … Continue reading →

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The hard-to-believe truth about Christmas

Posted on December 19, 2015 by salooper57

In a famous Old Testament passage, the prophet Isaiah wrote: “The Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). St. Matthew … Continue reading →

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