cross ’n’ dagger
Heavy-metal music, motorcycles, and muscle cars. All of these things were present at the annual Cross ’n’ Dagger church service held at the Life Bridge Church. The congregation created this special service for people who might not attend a “regular” Sunday morning meeting. Senior Pastor Bill Campbell said, “[People] can come in their leathers, if they’re bikers . . . . However they’re dressed, they’re welcomed.”
hate to love
She hated anyone who believed in God. A self- proclaimed atheist, the young woman did everything she could to destroy the faith of believers in Jesus. She would even write vulgar things on the pages of their Bibles. But then, as the Holy Spirit worked in her life and Christians continued to reach out lovingly to her, her hard heart began to melt. Soon she considered herself an “agnostic.” Then came the day she fell to her knees and tearfully received Jesus as her Savior. Recently, I was privileged to have a part in her baptism. Faith had replaced disbelief. Love had conquered hate.
new kind of father
Many people struggle in their daily life due to a poor relationship with their earthly fathers. I’ve counseled some who tend to humanize and view God through the lens of their negative experience. Many believers in Jesus also get tripped up in their relationship with their heavenly Father. If their earthly dads have failed them, it’s hard for them to believe that God won’t do the same.
hiding the flame
The London 2012 Olympic cauldron was magnificent. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the spectacular sculpture was built out of 204 copper petals representing the number of competing countries. Despite its beauty, the cauldron elicited scorn from some visitors of the Games who couldn’t view it.
no tampering
Kim Peek, the megasavant who inspired the film Rain Man, once went to a performance of a Shakespearean play. As the performance was ending, Peek stood up and shouted, “You’ve got to stop it, stop it, stop it.” Why? An actor had skipped the second to last verse of the play. The actor apologized and said, “The verses are so much alike, I didn’t think it would matter.” Peek is quoted as saying, “It mattered to Shakespeare, and it should matter to you.”
transforming grace
At the start of the 1998 film Les Miserables, recently released convict Jean Valjean staggers into a small village. Cold, starving, and out of options, Valjean receives a meal and lodging from a local bishop. During the night, however, Valjean repays the bishop’s kindness by running off with his host’s expensive silverware. He’s caught the next morning, but the bishop graciously saves him from being sent back to prison by claiming that the stolen silverware was a “gift.”
rescued from darkness
In Clint Eastwood’s movie Gran Torino, Walt Kowalski is a cranky Korean War vet disgusted by the gangs now running his neighborhood. He gets to know Thao, a teenager living next door, after catching him trying to steal his Gran Torino car—an act forced onto the young man by a local gang.
recalculating relationships
A comedian once mused that he wished someone would make a GPS for husbands. He said something like this: GPS: “Compliment your wife’s appearance.” Comedian: “Hey, honey, you look really good.” GPS: “Ask her about her day.” Comedian: “How was your day, sweetheart?” GPS: “Pretend to be listening.” Comedian: “Oh . . . Really . . .” GPS: “Flatter your wife.” Comedian: “Um . . . Hey, you’re gonna look really good once you put all your make-up on.” GPS: “Recalculating.”
sin is serious
David Head, in his book He Sent Leanness, overhauls a traditional public confession of sin found in the Book of Common Prayer and offers a satirical look at our shallow view of sin: “Benevolent and easy-going Parent: We have occasionally had some minor errors of judgment, but they’re not really our fault. Due to forces beyond our control, we have sometimes failed to act in accordance with our own best interests. Under the circumstances, we did the best we could. We are glad to say that we’re doing okay, perhaps even slightly above average. Be your own sweet Self with those who know they are not perfect.” Oh, how we trust in our own righteousness and justify our sinfulness!
like Jesus
Last month I was a character reference for a friend who was candidating with a missions agency. All I had to do was give my honest feedback based on certain key performance indicators (KPIs). As I “evaluated” my friend, I wondered how my peers would rate me, not in my professional capacity, but as a believer in Jesus. I wondered…
collapsed
In the past few years, my kids and I started a Christmas tradition of making gingerbread houses with some friends. Last year, as we prepared to go meet with the others, I gathered our supplies and noted with concern that the baked product didn’t seem quite hard enough. Later, my dread grew as the first house collapsed before the pieces…
you choose Q: how do I deal with the guilt of my past?
Q: How do I deal with the guilt of my past? —Shellie
A: You’ve asked how you can deal with the guilt of your past, presumably due to some sin—something you regret. Perhaps you feel entrapped by these memories.
Jesus assured us that “every sin can be forgiven” (Matthew 12:31). If you have confessed and repented, God will forgive you (1…
beyond reciprocity
If there’s one law that pervades the world, it’s the law of reciprocity. Simply put, reciprocity is the notion of mutual exchange or fair return. It’s the basis of many social interactions:
• Business: where a fair exchange of goods and services is made between parties.
• Politics: where one country helps another to maintain positive relations, alliances, or other…
when love came to town
I have a friend whose tastes in music are as broad as it gets. Knowing that it could be anything from punk to classical, I once asked him about a song he was listening to on his iPod. Judging by the way he was swaying back and forth, I knew the song was speaking to his soul.
On this particular…
