Strangers People find church in a lot of different ways. Some people are walking down the street, hear music drifting through the open doors, and go inside. Some are invited by friends are family. You can actually find churches on Yelp now, complete with star ratings and reviews of bathroom…
New Testament
The New Testament was written in the First Century AD, when the Roman Empire ruled over Israel, Greek was the lingua franca across the Mediterranean world, and inter-cultural exchanges and conflicts led the Jewish people to create new movements and philosophies to meet the challenges of the world. One revolutionary teacher - Jesus of Nazareth - eventually changed everything.
The Unknown God
THE UNKNOWN GOD A few years ago, the pastor of a church in my town announced a thrilling new sermon series: “The Dark Night Rises.” Posters went up with the dramatic title superimposed on the silhouette of the caped crusader himself. The marketing worked on me, at least – I was…
Denominations
Denominations Some time ago I a was a guest at a non-denominational church service, and I was so distracted by this modifier – “non-denominational” – that I could barely pay attention to the service itself. As the expertly-styled praise band sang medleys of Christmas carols over a synth beat and the youth…
The Covenant Sign
The Covenant Sign If there's one topic in the Bible that is altogether strange to many modern readers, it's circumcision. "Why is this in the Bible," you might ask, "and what in the world does it have to do with me?" Perhaps…
Burn With Passion
Burn with Passion In 2002, the Spotlight investigative journalism team of the Boston Globe broke the first in a series of news stories that shook the very foundations of Boston. The articles, which were the result of months of research, interviews, and determined sleuthing, revealed that for decades the Catholic…