Category: Religion

Is Nothing Sacred Anymore?

halloween-1998.jpgThere’s a bowl nearly full of Halloween candy on our kitchen counter. It’s not supposed to be that way, you know. But last night, we had a grand total of 10 trick-or-treaters knock on our front door and accost us for candy. What a bummer.

When we moved into this neighborhood 11 years ago, our street was the place to be on Halloween night. The sidewalks were packed with moms and dads escorting cute little ghouls and goblins from one house to another. It was one of the few times when everybody was out–a block party if there ever was one–and the spirit of community mingled freely with the other shades and shadows conjured up on those crisp, moonlit fall nights.… Read the rest

Wainwright Saves

jesus-saves.jpgInto the sea of Cardinal red which filled downtown St. Louis during yesterday’s victory parade and celebration waded Dave Finke of Maryland Heights, Missouri. For Finke, a sidewalk evangelist, the “fields were red unto salvation.”

Hopping aboard a pair of stilts for maximum visibility, Finke carried a “Jesus Saves” sign in one hand and a cross in the other. He ambled about among the revelers, a veritable John the Baptist crying out in a wilderness of concrete, glass and steel.

Several partygoers stopped to have their pictures taken with Finke and engage him in conversation. Others offered up their own commentary asides as they passed him by.… Read the rest

Where Were You in 1968?

molina315x260gm7hr102006.jpgBaseball is one of those sports where King Superstition reigns supreme. Just to prove the point, I’ve intentionally avoided mentioning baseball and my team, the St. Louis Cardinals, on this blog for fear of jinxing my boys.

The moratorium ends today–Cards win, Cards win, Cards win!

In a dramatic conclusion to game seven of the NLCS, Yadier Molina struck the decisive blow with a 2-run shot in the top of the ninth inning to finally bring down the New York Mets 3-1. After Endy Chavez robbed Scott Rolen of another home run in what will go down as one of the greatest catches in baseball history, and after Albert Pujols failed yet again to produce with men on base, I thought the Cards were done for.… Read the rest

Straightening Out the Bent Things

ist2_402082_bent_glasses.jpgSunday after church, I felt a large hand grab me firmly by the shoulder. I turned around and saw that it was one of our elders. Uh oh, I thought, what did I do (or more likely, say) this time? There I stood, a 40-something man, but I still felt like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

No trouble this time, thankfully. The question was not “what did you do?” but more like “what could you do?” As in, “could you possibly go over to Huntsville Hospital and straighten out D’s glasses?”

D is a 14-year-old boy who was recently involved in a horse-riding accident.… Read the rest

An Office With A View–A Redux

After a stunningly fine weather weekend in Huntsville (sunny, temperature in the low 70s), today the forecast calls for windy conditions and up to an inch of rain.

When I look out my office window today, I don’t expect to be tempted too heavily. But that doesn’t mean I won’t have a great view.

(Note: Last time I checked, this was still Eyegal’s favorite post).

… Read the rest

Do You Want to Hear Something Really Scary?

Things I love about this time of year:

  • Cooler, crisp weather and the extra spring in my step during my morning run.
  • The pageantry and thrill of college football (Roll Tide!)
  • Midnight Madness, and the beginning of college basketball season (Go Duke!)
  • The MLB playoffs and World Series (Go Cards! Please?)
  • Watching (and coaching) my sons play soccer
  • Having a fine dinner with Eyegal and driving home with the top back and the windows down
  • Catching a glimpse of God in the bushes and trees which are just starting to burn with the fiery colors of fall
  • Pumpkins. And the sweet aroma of decay emanating from piles of fallen leaves

Things I hate about this time of year:

… Read the rest

A Doubting Faith

As humans, we can merely sense the existence of a higher truth, a greater coherence than ourselves, but we cannot see it face to face. That is either funny or sad, and humans stagger from one option to the other. Neither beasts nor angels, we live in twilight, and we are unsure whether it is a prelude to morning or a prelude to night.

There is much in this article by Andrew Sullivan which rings true to me.

Very much indeed.

… Read the rest

Maranatha

I normally try to keep my eyes focused on the humorous, upside of things; it’s one of the ways I keep my sanity. Besides, there are plenty of other places to which you can go that do a great job of chronicling and dissecting the bad and the ugly.

But the events of the past week are weighing heavy on all of us this morning, and yesterday’s news of the massacre which took place at the one-room Amish school house in Pennsylvania only adds to the crushing burden. There are simply no words. We can only hang our heads and weep at the insanity and horror of it all.… Read the rest

Wide Right Jesus

egg_beater_jesus_for_www.jpgI’m grateful to Full Professor Elrod for reminding me that we have our own version of “Touchdown Jesus” right here in Huntsville. “Eggbeater Jesus” is a 43 feet tall mosaic Messiah consisting of approximately 14 million pieces of the very finest Italian tile. This culinary Christ is located on the side of the First Baptist Church on Governors Drive near downtown Huntsville, just a few steps from where I work.

The name should be self-explanatory, but given the performance of Alabama place kicker Leigh Tiffin (3 missed FGs and 1 missed PAT) last Saturday against Arkansas, I would propose we give Him a new title– “Wide Right Jesus.”… Read the rest

I Am Not a Prude. Am I?

churchlady1.jpgI am not a prude. Nor am I a teetotaler. Not even close. I believe God made the body– “and it was good.” I would have made a horrible Gnostic.

Still, some of this made me blush (be sure to watch the video clips and Joe Beam’s interview with MSNBC’s Lester Holt–who, by the way, attends the Manhattan Church of Christ).

A necessary and overdue corrective to the church’s longstanding “bury thy head in the sand” approach to human sexuality or just a little too much information, thank you very much?

Like a lot of things, I guess, it depends on who you talk to.… Read the rest

The Church of Football

churchsign.jpgThe South is a curious amalgam of fried food and sweet tea, trashy trailer park tragedy, dark gothic tales, hell, fire and brimstone and, of course, the ever-present, all-consuming, life-giving Church of Football.

Oh sure, there’s football in other parts of the country, but does anyone else come close to matching the faithful fanaticism of a Deep South Game Day? The Church of Football has it’s own liturgy–the parking lot fellowship meal, the processional to the house of worship, the gathering of the congregation, colorful vestments and the common chants and cheers. Touchdowns, of course, are the holiest sacrament, and in the ecstasy of celebrating another six points, congregants, if only for a few transcendent moments, forget their troubles and woes and are transported into high, heavenly places.… Read the rest

Tank Update

tank2.jpgA while back, I posted on Torrance “Tank” Daniels, a Harding University grad who was attempting to make the final roster with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Despite having played well in preseason games and practices, Tank didn’t quite make the final cut, but he was signed to the Eagles practice squad. This means he practices with the team each week and doesn’t dress out for games, but he still retains his free agent status and could be signed by the Eagles or some other team at a later date. He’ll receive a salary of $64,000 per season (pretty decent money for a guy straight out of undergrad), and the miminum NFL rookie salary of $225,000 per season if he’s picked up and signed to a regular roster.… Read the rest

I’ve Been Booked

(Sigh) As if I didn’t have enough to write about already…

Just like 7th grade, I’ve been tagged by Jason the Youth Minister, this time for my take on the following book categories:

1. One book that changed your life: C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity–nothing else comes close. It’s the main reason that I remained a Christian through a period of very intense doubt. Kudos to the Harding University Bookstore for daring to carry the work of a pipe smoking, ale-quaffing Anglican literature professor who wouldn’t have been welcome as a student or professor at that fine, teetotalling institution of higher learning.… Read the rest

Getting the Speck Out

cornealforeignbody.jpgIt’s always a good day at work when you can get one of these bad boys out of someone’s eye.

When I run, I feel His wrath. But when I remove a metallic corneal foreign body (rust ring and all) with one swipe of a 25G needle and leave only a 1mm epithelial divot, I feel His pleasure.

Androcles has nothing on me.

How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

… Read the rest