Seeking the reconciliation of heaven and earth
Here is a quick look at some of what I have been reading recently. *I am an affiliate with both Bookshop.org and Christian Book Distributors. I receive a small percentage of any sales generated on any links on this website.* Book Reviews Outdoor Moments with God by W. Philip Keller Philip Keller has rapidly become… Continue reading What I Have Been Reading….Outdoor Moments with God, Tolkein’s Modern Reading, and At the Back of the North Wind
My pastor, like many, encouraged our congregation to read through the Bible this year. I am going through it at a painfully slow pace, but I will get to the end...just maybe not this year. We will see about that. I have decided that I will periodically offer some of my thoughts and observations on… Continue reading Reflections on Genesis: Faith and the Calling of Abram
It is in the shelter of each other that the people live. -Irish Proverb It was during the run up to the last election that I finally made the decision to start a blog. I had been having many conversations with Christian friends about politics and the general state of the United States. Like many… Continue reading From Moral Loneliness to Moral Companionship: In the Shelter of Each Other
When I started this blog I had several goals in mind, one of which was to connect with others who are interested in some of the same topics and issues that I am. I have been able to do that to some extent, but I would like to increase a sense of community and encourage… Continue reading What I Have Been Reading….The Second Mountain, The Lord of the Rings, and A Sacred Sorrow
Truth-telling is related to our understanding of the common realm of human existence, our ability to appear in the world and share our experiences with one another. The modern age has taught us that rational truth is produced by the human mind; that we should be skeptical, cynical, and suspicious, and not trust our senses… Continue reading From Moral Loneliness to Moral Companionship: Community of Truth
The topic of Christian community is one that as been on my mind for many years now. In the years after college as I was searching out my faith, I remember reading a C. S. Lewis passage in which the simple words "Our Lord" struck me with a new force. At that time I was… Continue reading From Moral Loneliness to Moral Companionship: Forging Deep Community
In my last post I connected hyper-individualism and the church's failure to provide meaningful, deep community to the rise of political tribalism. One of the consequences of a highly individualistic society is loneliness, which as been described as an epidemic in the United States. This feeling of social isolation is one of the key drivers in… Continue reading From Moral Loneliness to Moral Companionship: Loneliness Epidemic
It is often the expectation when discussing Christian involvement in politics, the focus will be on the merits of particular issues such as abortion, gender identity, religious freedom, environmental responsibility, or social justice. But what I have found in both personal conversations and and observing the social landscape is that those types of conversations often… Continue reading From Moral Loneliness to Moral Companionship: A Broken Society
I can remember as a child the uncertain feeling I had as I would come across phrases such as the 'kingdom of God' or the 'kingdom of heaven' as I would read the Gospels. What exactly did they mean? I confess that while I felt there was some spiritual truth encompassed in those phrases, I… Continue reading The Invisible Kingdom of the Heart
It was during my high school years that I first began to seriously think through both my faith and my political convictions. While I accepted a distinction between the two, it seemed clear that they were interconnected. Any discussion of law or policy has some sort of morality or virtue behind it: the morality behind… Continue reading Seeing Politics Through the Lens of Faith
On Earth as it is in Heaven 