Journey with Jesus

Journey with Jesus Essays - A Comprehensive Index

This index lists all of the Journey with Jesus essays by Daniel B. Clendenin.

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Date Posted	Title	Topic
2010
8 March 2010	Turn, Turn, Turn	The prodigal son.
1 March 2010	Lent Beyond Easter	The life of Lent throughout the whole year.
22 February 2010	Don't Fear the Thief	Do not fear the thief. Lent 2, 2010. A guest essay by Pam Fickenscher
15 February 2010	The Grace of Bewilderment: First Sunday in Lent 2010	Lenten wilderness. A guest essay by Rebecca Lyman
8 February 2010	Oblivious to the Obvious: Be a Healer, Not a Hater	God's indiscriminate love for each and every person.
1 February 2010	Keep Marching to the End	Divine call and human inadequacy in Isaiah, Peter, and Paul.
25 January 2010	Not Everything Turns Out Well	One of the most important gospel truths.
18 January 2010	Today is Here	Jesus begins his public ministry.
11 January 2010	Party Time: The Wedding at Cana	Jesus turns water into wine at the wedding at Cana.
4 January 2010	"Take Up and Read:" Ten Favorite Books from 2009	In the spirit of text-oriented Protestants, Dan's top ten books for 2009.
2009
28 December 2009	The Fulfillment of Time: When Creation in Genesis Meets Redemption in Jesus	New Year reflections on the redemption of creation.
21 December 2009	"Plunge Yourself Into Obscurity:" The Hidden Years of the Boy Jesus	The boy Jesus in the temple.
14 December 2009	"Immensity Cloistered in Thy Dear Womb:" Venerating the Mother of God, Worshipping the Son of God	Fourth Sunday in Advent, 2009: Mary's Magnificat.
7 December 2009	From Political Analysis to Moral Accountability: Ancient Poetry and Modern "Eliminationism"	Third Sunday in Advent, 2009.
30 November 2009	From the Deep of the Desert: The Subversion of Politics and Religion	Second Sunday in Advent, 2009.
23 November 2009	Feed My Sheep — Every Day	First Sunday in Advent, 2009.
16 November 2009	Can a Good Christian Be a Good Citizen? The Reign of Christ the King	The clashing kingdoms of Pilate and Jesus.
9 November 2009	"You Must Be On Your Guard:" 10 Warning Signs That Religion Has Become Evil	Jesus warns us about religious fraud.
2 November 2009	She Gave All That She Had: Finding Wisdom in the Lives of Three Widows	The wisdom of widows in the kingdom of God.
26 October 2009	"A Remarkable Exercise in Honest Thinking:" Reformation Day 2009	Remembering the Protestant Reformation.
19 October 2009	The Story of Job: Personal Disaster Reveals Genuine Faith	Life lessons from the book of Job.
12 October 2009	Not So with You	Jesus on human greatness.
5 Octoberr 2009	The Problem of Evil and the Providence of God: Our Gray and Dappled World	The Problem of Evil and the Providence of God
28 September 2009	Between Nature and Grace	The paradoxes of human existence between nature and grace.
21 September 2009	Transcendent and Immanent: Honoring God's Mystery, Embracing His Goodness	Avoiding human idolatry, embracing divine goodness.
14 September 2009	From the Faculty Club to the Church Nursery: Little Children and the Kingdom of God	Jesus, children, and the kingdom of God.
7 September 2009	Taming the Tongue	The power of speech for good and ill.
31 August 2009	Don't Flatter the Rich or Plunder the Poor	Rich and poor from God's perspective.
24 August 2009	From Ritual Holiness to Human Compassion: Jesus and the Politics of Purity	To the command to "be holy" Jesus added "be compassionate."
17August 2009	No More! "Many Disciples Deserted Jesus"	Many disciples deserted Jesus.
10 August 2009	The "Anti-Politics" of the Gospel: What We Learn from King Solomon	The politics of God and man in the reign of King Solomon.
3 August 2009	Putting Off Vice, Putting On Virtue: Becoming Truly Holy and Fully Human	Putting off the vices, putting on the virtues.
27 July 2009	Accept No Substitutes: Earthly Appetites, Heavenly Bread, and Human Wholeness	Jesus is the bread from heaven who nourishes the deepest longings of humanity.
20 July 2009	The Divine Father of the Whole Human Family	Every human being enjoys God's family favor.
13 July 2009	One New Humanity: Salvation is from the Jews	Salvation is from the Jews.
6 July 2009	Deceptively Simple, Deeply Subversive: John the Baptist, Politics and Religion	John the Baptist is beheaded for his subversion of politics and religion.
29 June 2009	Are We Really Listening to the Right Messages? Reflections on a Teenage Suicide	A teenage suicide provokes questions about whether we're really listening to the right messages.
22 June 2009	Listening to the Losers: The True Nature of War	War atrocities ancient and modern reveal the true nature of war, and that peace is patriotic.
15 June 2009	"After He Killed Him, He Cut Off His Head:" David, Goliath, and Sacred Violence	The story of David and Goliath provokes an exploration of violence in God's name.
8 June 2009	Facebook Wisdom: "Life Does Not Turn By Your Own Hand"	Many times life does not turn by your own hand.
1 June 2009	God Infinite, God Intimate	God as infinite and intimate, transcendent and immanent.
25 May 2009	The Descent of a Dove and the Peace of Pentecost	The descent of the dove means Pentecost peace.
18 May 2009	Human Decision and Divine Destiny: Judas and Matthias	Human decision and divine destiny in Judas and his successor Matthias.
11 May 2009	That Your Joy May Be Complete: Ancient Poetry for Modern Pilgrims	Subversive acts of Christian joy.
4 May 2009	In Divine Desertion, A Human Presence: Saintly Wisdom from Two Teresas	Human presence amidst divine abandonment.
27 April 2009	The Only Way to the Only God?	Is Jesus the only way?
20 April 2009	Every Name in Every Nation: Holocaust Remembrance Day	Holocaust Remembrance Day in Christian perspective.
13 April 2009	"They Enjoyed The Favor of All the People" Christian Generosity of Community and Compassion	Glimpses of the early Christian movement.
6 April 2009	"Judge For Yourselves"	Easter Sunday 2009. Doubt and disbelief lend authenticity to the apostolic record.
30 March 2009	Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday: "He's No Friend of Caesar!": Sixth Sunday in Lent 2009	Palm Sunday 2009.
23 March 2009	The Confession of a King: Fifth Sunday in Lent 2009	King David's confession in Psalm 51.
16 March 2009	Far From Over: The Costs and Consequences of War in Iraq: Fourth Sunday in Lent 2009	The sixth anniversary of the Iraq war.
9 March 2009	Jesus Unhinged; the Cleansing of the Temple Third Sunday in Lent 2009	Jesus's cleansing of the temple unsettles our false sense of security.
2 March 2009	Grace is Free, But It's Not Cheap Second Sunday in Lent 2009	The way of the cross for Jesus and for us.
23 February 2009	Meditation on Mortality: First Sunday in Lent 2009	First Sunday in Lent 2009.
16 February 2009	A Beautiful Lie or an Eyewitness Account? The Transfiguration of Jesus	The Transfiguration of Jesus.
9 February 2009	A Nameless Nobody Advises a "Great Man": The Outsider In, the Insider Out	The outsider Naaman teaches religious insiders a thing or two.
2 February 2009	Perfection is the Voice of the Oppressor: A Spirituality of Imperfection	The prophet Isaiah reminds us of God's unfailing tenderness despite our many trials, faults and failures.
26 January 2009	Who Speaks for God?	Who really speaks for God, and how do we know?
19 January 2009	"The Time Has Come" Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, 2009	Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, 2009.
12 January 2009	Is God Still Speaking? Samuel and the Silence of God	Samuel and the the silence of God.
5 January 2009	From the Judean Desert to the Jordan River: John Baptizes His Cousin Jesus	John the Baptist baptizes Jesus.
2008
29 December 2008	Voices from the Desert: New Year's Resolutions from our Monastic Mothers and Fathers	New Year's resolutions based upon the wisdom of the monastic mothers and fathers.
22 December 2008	How Silently, How Silently, The Wondrous Gift is Given: Christmas 2008	Christmas 2008, a sacred moment in our mundane world.
15 December 2008	A Startling Announcement to a Girl from Nazareth	Fourth Sunday in Advent, 2008, a guest essay by novelist Ron Hansen.
8 December 2008	The Subversive Song of the Mother of God: Mary's Magnificat	Third Sunday in Advent, 2008, on God's biases that subvert business as usual.
1 December 2008	Will the Christian Church Keep Its Promise? World AIDS Day	Second Sunday in Advent, 2008, and World AIDS Day. (Guest essay by Art Amman MD, President, Global Strategies for HIV Prevention.)
24 November 2008	"Awesome Things That We Did Not Expect"	First Sunday in Advent.
17 November 2008	American Torture and A Presidential Promise	Obama's promise to end torture.
10 November 2008	The Prophet Zephaniah and "The Great Day of the Lord"	The prophet Zephaniah and "the great day of the Lord."
3 November 2008	America's Next President: Beware of The Battered Wife Syndrome	America's 2008 presidential election.
27 October 2008	Celebrating the Saints: All Saints Day	Who and what is a saint? Why should we honor them?
20 October 2008	Humanizing Holiness: Are Some Commandments More Important Than Others?	The most important command in the Bible.
13 October 2008	Credo and the Credit Crisis	Man and Mammon (guest essay by Adam Hamilton).
6 October 2008	Aaron and The Gods of Gold	Our pathetic personal gods and violent national gods.
29 September 2008	The Decalogue: Ten Words on Life, Love, and Justice	The 10 Commandments in modern life (guest essay by David Gill, Ph.D.).
22 September 2008	Repentance: Cleaning Up the Messy House	The centrality of repentance in the Christian story.
15 September 2008	"Are You Envious Because I am Generous?" The Economy and Geography of God's Grace	The economy and geography of divine grace.
8 September 2008	Payback or Pardon? Jesus, Joseph and the Power of Forgiveness	Jesus, Joseph and forgiveness.
1 September 2008	Seven Years Later: Remembering 9/11	Religious violence, human history, and remembering 9–11
25 August 2008	Moses and Jeremiah: Divine Presence in the Human Struggle	God promises His presence when He calls Moses and Jeremiah.
18 August 2008	Positively Maladjusted: Martin Luther King and "Transformed Nonconformity"	Following Jesus subverts cultural conformity.
11 August 2008	"All the Ends of the Earth"	The global character of God's kingdom decentralizes our geography and reorients our politics.
4 August 2008	Elijah: "The Troubler of Israel"	The prophet Elijah confronts the pathologies of political power, and so must we.
28 July 2008	Dark Struggles, Divine Blessings: Jacob at the River Jabbok	Jacob wrestles with God at the river Jabbok.
21 July 2008	Accepting God's Acceptance: The Certainty of God's Love	Nothing in all of creation can separate you from God's love, says Paul.
July 14, 2008	In Heaven and On Earth: Each Person, Every Nation, All Creation, The Entire Cosmos	God's love embraces each person, every nation, all creation, and even the entire cosmos.
July 7, 2008	Family Values, Biblical Style	God works out humanity's salvation within a history of multi-generational family dysfunction.
June 30, 2008	A King on a Colt? Zechariah's Peace Poetry	Political poetry from 2,500 years ago guides our national celebration.
June 23, 2008	A Father Sacrifices His Son, A God Tests His Disciple	God's test of Abraham, Abraham's sacrifice of Issac.
June 16, 2008	How Do We Love Burma? A Natural Disaster Exposes a Government's War Against Its Own People	Christian reflections on the crisis on Burma.
June 9, 2008	"God Has Brought Me Laughter:" Sarah, "The Mother of Nations"	God blesses Sarah with a son despite her doubts and denials.
June 2, 2008	The Journey Without, The Journey Within: Ignorance, Inclusion, and Impotence	God's call on Abraham to an inner and outer journey.
May 26, 2008	He Breaks the Bow and Shatters the Spear: Peace Poetry for Memorial Day 2008	Memorial Day 2008
May 19, 2008	Listening to the Birds, Looking at the Flowers	Worry, anxiety, and God's grace.
May 12, 2008	The Poetry of Creation	The Christian story of creation.
May 5, 2008	From the Inspiration of the Spirit to the Institution of the Church: Pentecost 2008	Pentecost 2008
April 28, 2008	"Everyone Has a Name": Holocaust Remembrance Day	Remembering the Holocaust and every genocide.
April 21, 2008	From Synagogues and Sanctuaries to Bars and Boardrooms: The Apostle Paul at the Areopagus	Paul at the Areopagus in Athens.
April 14, 2008	Is Christianity A "Sublime Bigotry?" 10 Reflections on the Gospel and World Religions	What does Jesus mean when he says that "no one comes to God except by me?"
April 7, 2008	Giving Wealth, Getting Faith	Giving, getting, and following Jesus.
March 31, 2008	Science or the Psalms? A God Who Sees, Hears, and Acts	The God of the Psalms is very different than the God of science.
March 24, 2008	Praying for Peace: The Fifth Anniversary of the Iraq War	The fifth anniversary of the Iraq war.
March 17, 2008	"Their Words Seemed Like Nonsense": Easter Sunday 2008	Easter 2008.
March 10, 2008	The Parallel Universe of the Passion of Jesus	The passion of Jesus subverts cultural conformity.
March 3, 2008	Jesus Wept: Fifth Sunday in Lent 2008	Jesus weeps, and then raises Lazarus from the dead.
February 25, 2008	Betwixt This World and That of Grace: Fourth Sunday in Lent 2008	Healing of the man born blind.
February 18, 2008	The Woman at the Well: Third Sunday in Lent 2008	Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well
February 11, 2008	Abraham in Three Movements: Second Sunday in Lent 2008	The journey of Abraham from Haran to Canaan.
February 4, 2008	Super Tuesday Meets Ash Wednesday: First Sunday in Lent 2008	Super Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, and Lent
January 28, 2008	The Transfiguration of Jesus: "The Real Truth" or A "Pernicious Superstition?"	The Transfiguration of Jesus.
January 21, 2008	Race and Repentance: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day	Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
January 14, 2008	The Outrage of Outsiders: Why So Many People Dislike Christians	Why Christians have such a bad reputation.
January 7, 2008	Wading Into the Waters: The Baptism of Jesus	The Baptism of Jesus.
2007
31 December 2007	Pagan Magi and Power Politics: The "Disclosure" of Epiphany	Epiphany, King Herod, and the adoration of the Magi.
24 December 2007	Remembering Rachel: The Slaughter of the Innocents	Herod slaughters the children of Bethlehem.
17 December 2007	Who Wants to Wait?	The Advent discipline of waiting. A guest essay by Lindsey Crittenden, the author of The Water Will Hold You; A Skeptic Learns to Pray (Harmony Books, 2007) and numerous published essays, articles, and stories.
10 December 2007	My Soul Proclaims: Submission and Subversion in Mary's Magnificat	Submission and subversion in Mary's Magnificat. A guest essay by Sara Miles, author of Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion (2007). Sara is the director of ministries at St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco, where she founded The Food Pantry.
3 December 2007	To Live in Longing	Advent longing for the extraordinary in the ordinary. A guest essay by Nora Gallagher, the author of two memoirs about faith and doubt: Things Seen and Unseen and Practicing Resurrection, and a new novel, Changing Light
26 November 2007	Bringing Heaven to Earth Here and Now	An evolutionary biologist reflects on Isaiah's messianic vision. A guest essay by Joan Roughgarden, author of Evolution and Christian Faith; Reflections of an Evolutionary Biologist (2006).
19 November 2007	The Absence of God's Presence: Mother Teresa, Martin Luther, and Psalm 46	The absence of God's presence in Mother Teresa, Martin Luther, and Psalm 46
12 November 2007	The Hope of History: From a Garden to a City	The gospel and the end of human history.
5 November 2007	In the Dust and the Dirt: Greater Glory in Lesser Circumstances	God is present in the dust and dirt of our lives.
29 October 2007	A Decisive Moment Worth Singing About: Remembering The Protestant Reformation	Reformation Day 2007. (Guest essay by Sam Rowen (PhD, Michigan State), who has spent his adult life in international ministries, most recently in theological education in Asia.)
22 October 2007	Seven Little Words: The Only Prayer You'll Ever Need	The self-righteous Pharisee and the repentant tax collector.
15 October 2007	Jacob: Blessed by God and Limping Ever After	Jacob's struggle with God at the river Jabbok.
8 October 2007	Strange People, Strange Places: The Geography of Salvation	God's work in strange places and in strange people.
1 October 2007	The Grammar of Faith: Watching and Waiting	Christian faith in a world of suffering and pain.
24 September 2007	He Knows My Name	On naming and being named. A guest essay by Lindsey Crittenden, author of the newly released book The Water Will Hold You; A Skeptic Learns to Pray (New York: Harmony Books, 2007).
17 September 2007	How Long, O Lord? Why the Delay in Divine Intervention?	Why does God not intervene in human suffering?
10 September 2007	Remembering 9/11: Political Blowback or Divine Judgment?	The search for meaning in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, both human and divine.
3 September 2007	When the Fairest Cut is the Deepest: The Risk of Renunciation	The role of renunciation in Christian discipleship.
27 August 2007	Jesus Does Dinner: Food for Thought for Guests and Hosts	Jesus, food, and the kingdom of God.
20 August 2007	Sabbath-Keeping, Fasting, and "My Own Flesh and Blood"	Sabbath-keeping in Luke and fasting in Isaiah are no substitute for human compassion, justice, and mercy.
13 August 2007	False Hopes, Bad Dreams, and Reckless Lies: Jeremiah Yesterday and Today	False prophecy old and new, both personal and political.
6 August 2007	God Bless You, Tammy Faye (1942–1997)! "She Was Living By Faith When She Died"	A tribute to Tammy Faye Bakker Messner.
30 July 2007	"Christ is All and is In All": Beyond Identity Violence and Social Hierarchies	In Christ there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free.
23 July 2007	The Scandal of the Particular: Preached at Trinity Church	Commemorating Hiroshima (August 6, 1945), guest essay by Nora Gallagher, the author of the newly released Changing Light: A Novel, and the best sellers Things Seen and Unseen and Practicing Resurrection.
16 July 2007	Growing Strong By Destroying Others: To the "Notable Men of the Foremost Nation"	The prophet Amos on the failed state of Israel, with parallels to modern America.
9 July 2007	The Prophet Amos to the Priest Amaziah: Stop Pimping Religion for Political Empire	The prophet Amos stares down the priest Amaziah and the king Jeroboam.
2 July 2007	Like Lambs Among Wolves: Gospel Reflections on the Temptations of Violence	Gospel reflections on violence and empire. (A guest essay by Sara Miles, author of Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion (2007).)
25 June 2007	The Only, Entire, and Greatest Thing: The Most Important Verse Not in the Bible	The priority and pre-eminence of Christian love.
18 June 2007	Celebrating Three Years: 2004–2007	The weekly webzine Journey with Jesus celebrates three years.
11 June 2007	Are Women Human? Jesus, Women, and Identity Politics	Jesus, women, and identity politics.
4 June 2007	Paul's "Previous Way of Life": From Violent Aggression to Indiscriminate Love	Paul's conversion from religious fanaticism to love for all people.
28 May 2007	Upside-down and Backward: Finding Faith to Read Reality	How a Christian view of reality transcends normal human wisdom.
21 May 2007	Beyond Babel: Pentecost Sunday	Pentecost Sunday 2007.
14 May 2007	The Last Sentence of the Bible: Grace to All	What would Christian "branding" look like?
7 May 2007	Bottled Lightning: Don't Extinguish the Fire, Don't Shatter the Vessel	If Paul had a Macedonian vision, can we expect the same?
30 April 2007	Any Person, Every Nation:"Even the Gentiles"	The Apostle Peter learns about the inclusive love of God from the Gentile Cornelius.
23 April 2007	Every Tribe, Every Tear: "The Healing of the Nations"	In the book of Revelation God dries every tear of every person in every tribe and tongue.
16 April 2007	Peter and Paul: Before and After	Faith, failure and restoration in the Christian life.
9 April 2007	We Must Obey God Rather Than Men: With Gratitude to Morgan Tsvangirai	Morgan Tsvangirai: we must obey God rather than men.
2 April 2007	Believing the Believers: "Public Evidence for a Mystery"	Faith and doubt in the resurrection of Jesus, Easter 2007.
26 March 2007	He's Subverting Our Nation! Palm Sunday	Palm Sunday 2007 and why Jesus died.
19 March 2007	Poetry for Peace in a Time of War: On the Fourth Anniversary of the Iraq War	Reflections on the fourth anniversary of the Iraq War.
12 March 2007	Coming All the Way Home: Affirming the “Incidental Face” of Creation	Ecology and the environment as Lenten disciplines. (Guest essay by Daniel Deffenbaugh, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska.)
5 March 2007	Clarifying Moments of Warning and Invitation	The death of a neighbor and a Gospel story.
26 February 2007	I Must Keep Going: Lent's Unfinished Business	Saint Anthony advises us to "expect trials until your last breath."
19 February 2007	From Ashes to Fire: First Sunday in Lent 2007	Enlarging our capacity for suffering and for joy. (Guest essay by Nora Gallagher, noted author and a member of Trinity Episcopal Church Santa Barbara.)
12 February 2007	The Dial and the Switch: Recognizing the Moments of God's Special Visitation	Recognizing the moments of kairos, God's special visitation. (Guest essay by Pam Fickenscher. Pam is a pastor of Edina Community Lutheran Church in Edina, Minnesota.)
5 February 2007	From Either-Or to Both-And	Reflections on Jeremiah, Paul, and Luke. (Guest essay by Deborah Core. professor of English at Eastern Kentucky University.)
29 January 2007	I Am What I Am: Listening to Isaiah, Paul, and Peter	Human sin, failure, and inadequacy are not obstacles to God's call.
22 January 2007	The Call of Jeremiah: Human Struggle with the Divine Summons	Call and conflict, divine summons and human struggle, in the prophet Jeremiah.
15 January 2007	Eat the Fat, Drink the Wine	Nehemiah and subversive acts of joy.
8 January 2007	The Miracle at Cana: A Whole Lot of Strong Wine	Jesus turns water into wine at the wedding at Cana.
1 January 2007	The Baptism of Jesus: A Vision and a Voice	Jesus's baptism by John the Baptist.
2006
25 December 2006	The Hidden Years of Jesus: A Spirituality of Invisibility and Obscurity	The boy Jesus in the temple.
18 December 2006	Mary's Magnificat: All Generations Will Call Her Blessed	Fourth Sunday in Advent, 2006: Mary's Magnificat.
11 December 2006	Never Again: Zephaniah 3:15 and the Hope of Divine Judgment	Third Sunday in Advent, 2006.
4 December 2006	John the Baptist: Divine Wisdom from the Lunatic Fringe	Second Sunday in Advent, 2006.
27 November 2006	The Coming of the Son of Man: Disbelief, Voyeuristic Violence, or Future Redemption?	First Sunday in Advent, 2006.
20 November 2006	The Clash of Two Kingdoms: Pilate the Prefect and Christ the King	The clashing kingdoms of Pontius Pilate and Christ the King.
13 November 2006	Be On Your Guard, Don't Be Duped, Deceived, or Distracted: 10 Warning Signs	Ten warning signs that religion has become evil and evil has become religious.
6 November 2006	Political Illusions and Biblical Realities: Ten Reminders for Election Day	Political illusions and Biblical reality.
30 October 2006	Amo Ergo Sum: I Love, therefore I Am	On the connection between loving God and loving people whom we don't like.
23 October 2006	Ruined without Reason: Epilogue to a Health-Wealth Fiasco	Life lessons from the book of Job.
16 October 2006	Greatness and Glory: the Jesus Way	Jesus on the will to power, grasping for glory and human greatness.
9 October 2006	Our Dappled World: Grace to Help in Our Time of Need or The Ultimate of All Miseries?	God's providential care in the dark shadows of life.
2 October 2006	We Get to Be Human	Moving from smug sanctimony to human empathy.
25 September 2006	Tell Them To Stop! World Communion Sunday	World Communion Sunday
18 September 2006	Little Children and God's Kingdom: The Holy Grail of Human Greatness	Little children, God's kingdom, and human greatness.
11 September 2006	The Starry Heavens Above: Robust Faith and Rigorous Science	Examining the relationship between science and faith.
4 September 2006	Flattering the Rich, Exploiting the Poor Labor Day 2006	Don't flatter the rich or insult the poor, for their Maker God is also their advocate.
28 August 2006	No Outcasts Cast Out: From The Politics of Purity to The Call for Compassion	To the command to "be holy" Jesus added "be compassionate."
21 August 2006	Hearts on Pilgrimage	Many disciples deserted Jesus.
14 August 2006	King Solomon, Politics and Power	The politics of God and man in the reign of King Solomon.
7 August 2006	Between the Animals and the Gods: Virtue and Vice according to the Apostle Paul	Virtue and vice according to Saint Paul.
31 July 2006	Thank You, Liberia: Ecumenical Gratitude for Works of Service	Ecumenical gratitude for the saints in Liberia.
24 July 2006	The Father's Whole Family: No Exceptions Allowed	Every human being enjoys God's family favor.
17 July 2006	Whose Agenda Is It Anyway?	Learning to distinguish between God's agenda and our own. (Guest essay by Sam Rowen (PhD, Michigan State), who has spent his adult life in international ministries, most recently in theological education in Asia.)
10 July 2006	Dragged Along?	Learning to listen to the voice of the Lord. (Guest essay by David Buschart. W. David Buschart serves as Associate Dean and Professor of Theology at Denver Seminary (Colorado), and as a theological consultant to churches and organizations.)
3 July 2006	The Gospel of Our Weakness	A theology of human weakness from the apostle Paul. (Guest essay by Dan Lewis, Senior Pastor of Troy Christian Chapel, Troy, Michigan.)
26 June 2006	Peace is Patriotic: Reflections for the Fourth of July	War atrocities ancient and modern remind us of the true nature of war, and that peace is patriotic.
19 June 2006	Texts of Terror and the Enemies of God: What Should We Do When Religion Becomes Evil?	The story of David and Goliath provokes an exploration of violence in God's name.
12 June 2006	Keeping Promises: Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of Christ)	A meditation on the significance of promise-making, both human and divine. (Guest essay by Don Thorsen, Professor of Theology at Azusa Pacific University.)
5 June 2006	So Far, So Near	The Holy Trinity is both near to and far from us. (Guest essay by David Buschart, Associate Dean and Professor of Theology at Denver Seminary (Colorado), and theological consultant to churches and organizations.)
29 May 2006	Hardest to Bear, Easiest to Forget: Pentecost 2006	Pentecost 2006: Fullness of the Spirit in the brokenness of life.
22 May 2006	Judas and Matthias: On Mystery and Destiny	The mysterious destinies of Judas and his successor Matthias.
15 May 2006	The Blast of the Ram's Horn: Subversive Acts of Christian Joy	Psalm 98 and subversive acts of Christian joy.
8 May 2006	The Power of the Dogs: When Trouble is Near	The fullness of faith in experiences of abandonment.
1 May 2006	No Other Name: Only One Out of 10,000?	Is Jesus the only way?
24 April 2006	The Divided Loyalties of Resident Aliens: Strange Lands Your Home, Your Home a Strange Land	The global identity of Christians qualifies our geo-political commitments.
17 April 2006	Much Grace Was With Them All: Our Distinctive Sign	Glimpses of the early Christian movement.
10 April 2006	This Is What We Preach	Easter Sunday 2006. Doubt and disbelief lend authenticity to the apostolic record.
3 April 2006	A Lenten Letter To President George W. Bush; Lent 6B: Liturgy of the Passion	An open letter to President George W. Bush on Palm Sunday 2006.
27 March 2006	Contrition, Confession, and Candor: Lent 5B	King David's confession in Psalm 51.
20 March 2006	Life and Light, Death and Darkness: Lent 4B	Lenten confession precedes Easter resurrection.
13 March 2006	Subtle as a Sledge Hammer: Jesus "Cleanses" the Temple: Lent 3B	Jesus's cleansing of the temple unsettles our false sense of security.
6 March 2006	When Jesus Spoke Plainly: Lent 2B	The way of the cross for Jesus and for us.
27 February 2006	When God Was Green: The Original Eco-Covenant; Lent 1B	Lenten repentance and care for creation.
20 February 2006	Listen to Him: The Transfiguration of Jesus	The Transfiguration of Jesus.
13 February 2006	Letting Go of Your Story: Learning from Traudl Junge	Isaiah encourages us to forget the past and to let go of our stories.
13 February 2006	Outward Acts and Inner Dispositions: Ash Wednesday 2006	A special essay for Ash Wednesday 2006.
6 February 2006	Naaman and Gehazi: The Outsider In, the Insider Out	The outsider Naaman teaches religious insiders a thing or two.
30 January 2006	For the Weak and the Weary: A Spirituality of Imperfection	The prophet Isaiah reminds us of God's unfailing tenderness despite our many trials, faults and failures.
23 January 2006	Repudiating Robertson: How Can We Know When God Speaks?	Who really speaks for God, and how do we know?
16 January 2006	When Chronos Meets Kairos: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, 2006	Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, 2006.
9 January 2006	Samuel and the Silence of God: So You Wish to Hear a Word?	Samuel and the the silence of God.
2 January 2006	Tookie Williams and "Redemptive Transition": Tailor Made for The Wretched, Available for Everybody	Tookie Williams, John the Baptist and Jesus.
2005
26 December 2005	Ancient Wisdom for the Modern World: My New Year's Resolutions with Help from the Desert Monastics	Dan's weekly lectionary essay for January 1, 2006 offers New Year's Resolutions based upon the fourth century desert monastic mothers and fathers.
19 December 2005	When the Time Came: Christmas 2005	Weekly lectionary essay for Christmas 2005.
12 December 2005	Mary	Fourth Sunday in Advent, 2005, on Mary's availability.
5 December 2005	Taking Sides: Reversals	Third Sunday in Advent, 2005, on God's biases that subvert conventional wisdom.
28 November 2005	Close to His Heart: Tenderness	Second Sunday in Advent, 2005, on the tenderness of God and World AIDS Day.
21 November 2005	Drinking Tears By The Bowlful: Waiting	First Sunday in Advent, 2005, on waiting.
14 November 2005	Global Joy for "All Ye Lands"	Thanksgiving reflections on Psalm 100.
7 November 2005	Coming in Glory	The "second coming" of Jesus Christ.
31 October 2005	Everyday Lives of Ordinary People; All Saints Day 2005	Reflections for All Saints Day 2005.
24 October 2005	Correcting the Correction: Reformation Day 2005 (October 31)	Dan comments on Reformation Day 2005.
17 October 2005	Coming Closer to Myself: Reflections on Turning 50	Dan reflects on turning fifty.
10 October 2005	Show Me The Money: Unconditional Allegiance to the Unconditioned God	Rendering to caesar and to God—what does it mean?
3 October 2005	Idolatry: From A Golden Calf To "Military Metaphysics"	Idolatry old and new: from a golden calf to a military metaphysic.
26 September 2005	Ten Words	The 10 Commandments in modern life.
19 September 2005	The Monster Who Was Sorry	The centrality of repentance in the Christian story.
12 September 2005	Employee #00001	The economy and geography of divine grace.
5 September 2005	The Arithmetic of Forgiveness	Fourth anniversary of the 9–11 attacks.
29 August 2005	When Faith is Hijacked	Religious violence and 9–11.
22 August 2005	Making and Keeping Promises	The God who makes promises keeps promises, and therein rests our certainty. (Guest essay by Sam Rowen (PhD, Michigan State), who has spent his adult life in international ministries, most recently in theological education in Asia.)
15 August 2005	Who Do You Say That I Am?	Jesus’ questions are defining moments you won’t want to miss. (Guest essay by Hank French, who is currently rounding out his career in parish ministry at Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church in Minneapolis (ELCA).)
8 August 2005	Our Global God	Globalization is nothing new to God. (Guest essay by W. David Buschart, who serves as Associate Dean and Professor of Theology at Denver Seminary (Colorado), and as a theological consultant to churches and organizations.)
1 August 2005	Unjust Justice	Christians ought to be concerned about and act on behalf of justice. However, they ought not use unjust means for pursuing it. (Guest essay by Don Thorsen, Professor of Theology at Azusa Pacific University.)
25 July 2005	Jacob at the River Jabbok	Jacob wrestles with God at the river Jabbok.
18 July 2005	Inseparable Love	Nothing in all of creation can separate you from God's love, says Paul.
11 July 2005	Hardest to Bear, Easiest to Forget: The Course of Human History	The Apostle Paul's vision for the end of history tempers realism with hope.
4 July 2005	Jacob and Esau: A Theology of Pathology	Yahweh works out humanity's salvation within a history of multi-generational family dysfunction.
27 June 2005	Peace to the Nations	Political poetry from 2,500 years ago guides our national celebration.
20 June 2005	When God Tested Abraham	Abraham's radical, obedient faith in his sacrifice of Isaac.
13 June 2005	Ishmael: God Hears and Sees	The story of Ishmael reminds us that God sees and hears all of our cares.
6 June 2005	Sarah: On Laughter and Lying	Abraham's wife Sarah laughed at God's promise and then denied her disbelief.
30 May 2005	Abraham: The Father Of Us All	Abraham conquers three common fears we all have and in so doing becomes "the father of us all."
23 May 2005	Under the Surface of Life: Just As I Am	Outside of Christ, inside myself, or inside of Christ outside myself?
16 May 2005	Over All the Earth: A Triple Play Threat	Three contemporary challenges for Christian care of God's good creation.
9 May 2005	The Curse Reversed: Pentecost 2005	Pentecost Sunday, 2005.
2 May 2005	Our Global God: Witness with Power	From unlikely beginnings, the Gospel goes truly global.
25 April 2005	The Areopagus Then and Now	Paul's address to the Athenians at the Areopagus.
18 April 2005	Anthony Flew's "Willing Suspension of Disbelief"	A prominent atheist converts to theism.
11 April 2005	Apostolic Devotion: The Actual Historical Tradition	Devotion to the apostolic tradition as described in the book of Acts differs markedly from the vague religious intentions of many today.
4 April 2005	Pope John Paul II (1920-2005)	We grieve the loss of this great Christian leader, but not as those without hope.
4 April 2005	Absolute Moral Clarity? The Case of Terri Schiavo	One Christian view of the Terri Schiavo case.
28 March 2005	Keep Us Safe	As the world observes the second anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, Dan reflects on war and the pastoral and political ramifications of the Psalmist's prayer.
21 March 2005	This Is The Message	Dan's essay for Easter 2005.
14 March 2005	The Bottom Billions: Terror on Every Side	The sixth essay in a six week series for Lent 2005.
7 March 2005	Surely He Could Have Prevented This?	The fifth essay in a six week series for Lent 2005
28 February 2005	How Dare You Lecture Us!	The fourth essay in a six week series for Lent 2005.
21 February 2005	He Stayed Two Days	The third essay in a six week series for Lent 2005.
14 February 2005	Leave Your Country	The second essay in a six week series for Lent 2005.
7 February 2005	Memento Morum: A Dialogue with Death	The first essay in a six week series for Lent 2005.
31 January 2005	Cleverly Invented Tales?	Is the Gospel just a tall tale?
24 January 2005	Why Richard is Wrong	A response to the atheist Richard Dawkins on the tsunami disaster
17 January 2005	Falling Out for Trifles	The Corinthian heresy of schism, then and now.
10 January 2005	Disillusioned With Church	The many failures of the church should not prevent our loyalty to it.
3 January 2005	The Voice of the Lord	In their love affair with books Protestants discover the voice of the Lord.
3 January 2005	The Tsunami Disaster; One Christian Response January 3, 2005	A special essay regarding the tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004.
2004
27 December 2004	A Generous Orthodoxy	Brian McLaren's new book provokes Dan's New Year resolutions.
20 December 2004	He Too Was Distressed	What's in an image (of Jesus)?
13 December 2004	Bette Midler Was Wrong	A single Hebrew word captures the essence of Christmas.
6 December 2004	Where God Was Homeless	The transcendent God enters our own world of homelessness, pain and loss.
29 November 2004	I Pledge Allegiance	Our ultimate pledge of allegiance to the kingdom of God relativizes all other allegiances.
22 November 2004	War No More	Advent 2004, the last days as the Hebrew prophet Isaiah saw them.
15 November 2004	Of Mortal Ills Prevailing	However tumultuous, external conflicts and inner torments cannot vanquish the mighty presence of God.
8 November 2004	It Seems Like Nothing	God is present even in the dust and dirt of our lives.
1 November 2004	The Politics of God and Man	The prophet Daniel illuminates the politics of God and man.
25 October 2004	Lost and Found	Some cliches are true: confession is good for the soul.
18 October 2004	The Jesus Prayer	The most important prayer you will ever pray, in just seven words.
11 October 2004	Hijacked?	Is God Republican or Democrat?
4 October 2004	Far From Home: Exile	Everyone wants their own exodus, but what does it mean to live in exile?
27 September 2004	Patience in Unknowing	Where is God when it hurts?
20 September 2004	Playing Favorites	In sharing our wealth we care for our souls.
13 September 2004	Portfolio Performance	How we relate to money is one barometer of our spiritual health.
6 September 2004	Only A Small Beginning	Our progress in the Christian life might be limited, but God's patience is unlimited.
30 August 2004	Choose Life!	One Christian view of the cost of war in Iraq
23 August 2004	Code Lunches	Observing guests and hosts at a dinner party, Jesus comments on food as a metaphor for power.
16 August 2004	Reckless Lies	False prophets speak soothing words, but they are harmful to your health.
9 August 2004	Les Exclus	What would Isaiah have to say about the oppressed and overlooked peoples of our day?
2 August 2004	He's One of You	A fugitive slave returns to his home church and models the revolutionary vision of Christian community prescribed by the Apostle Paul.
26 July 2004	God Our Father	What is God really like? The simple prayer “Our Father, who art in heaven” makes a bold claim that corrects our common projections.
19 July 2004	Mary and Martha: No Small Struggle	How difficult is it to inspect the state of one's inner self—the part of each of us that really matters?
12 July 2004	Amos versus Amaziah	This essay considers the relationship between religion, politics, and Christian faith, and the consequences of various combinations of the three.
5 July 2004	Transformed Nonconformity	Do Christians present any additional resistance to cultural conformity than found in the general population?
28 June 2004	Three Moments of the Self	The Scriptures portray people realistically, while we tend to portray ourselves idealistically—but what matters is how God sees us.
21 June 2004	This Man Welcomes Sinners	Dan visits St. Aldates church in Oxford and is reminded of a group of Jesus' parables—the ones addressed to Jesus' enemies.
2003[There are no essays for the period from July 2003 to May 2004]
23 June 2003	The Presence of the Future	What does it mean for the future reality of the kingdom of God to invade the present?
16 June 2003	Many Things in Parables	This essay comments upon the use and interpretation of the parables of Jesus in ancient times, the modern day, and in-between.
9 June 2003	Help in Our Weakness	This week's essay reviews the surprising periods of uncertainty and struggle that were a little-known part of Mother Teresa's life.
2 June 2003	Caesar is Not God	This essay considers the degree to which the church and state share common means and purposes—or, in some cases, do not.
26 May 2003	The Dark Side of Democracy	Dan considers the effects of capitalism and democracy in the world.
19 May 2003	Croatia Revisited	Dan reflects upon his recent trip to Croatia and how God is working there. In what ways is the gospel evident in a war-torn land?
12 May 2003	Love Thyself	"Be yourself" -- is this good advice for Christians or not?
5 May 2003	Conflicts Without, Fears Within: A Spirituality of Struggle	The Christian life isn't a "picnic on a green lawn", but the reality of stuggle can bring about gifts from God.
28 April 2003	Remembering Columbine	Reflections on violence in America.
21 April 2003	Our Women Amazed Us: Easter 2003	For Easter, Dan reflects on the kingdom of God -- the "firstfruits" that we already have and the promise of what is still to come.
14 April 2003	Kings and Kingdoms	Reflecting on Palm Sunday, Dan contrasts "the kings and kingdoms of this world and the reign of King Jesus".
7 April 2003	Give It Up and Let It Go	From the small act of giving up something for Lent to the ultimate act of giving our lives to Christ, Dan discusses how we can "position ourselves to live life all the more fully in His kingdom today".
31 March 2003	God Loves the World	Dan contrasts God's love for the world with the tendency to view ourselves and America as either the instrument or object of God's wrath.
24 March 2003	Lent and the Law	On the way to the grace of Easter we should consider our relationship to God's law.
17 March 2003	He Spoke Plainly	Should the Christian life be "one rousing victory after another"?
10 March 2003	Tempted, Tried, and Sometimes Failing	Dan continues his Lenten series with this essay about temptation and grace.
3 March 2003	Ash Wednesday, 2003	Dan begins his Lenten series with a discussion of Ash Wednesday and the practice of giving up something for Lent.
24 February 2003	Mea Culpa, O Felix Culpa	Comments on sin and grace.
17 February 2003	What Would Jesus Bomb?	Reflections on a possible war in Iraq.
10 February 2003	Getting by -- Sort of	This week Dan discusses the economic difficulties of low wage workers in America and how Christians "should care deeply about these inequities and do their part to make a difference".
3 February 2003	Religious Terror	This week Dan discusses violence in the name of religion.
27 January 2003	Where the Action Is	"Where is the Spirit blowing today? Think charismatic. Think global. Then pray that since 'we life by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit' "
20 January 2003	MLK Jr. Day, 2003	For Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Dan considers the state of race relations in America and the Christian role in racial reconciliation.
13 January 2003	Shifting Boundaries and Protestant Conversions	Dan discusses the phenomenon of Protestants converting to Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Whether it is a defection or a homecoming, what can we learn?
6 January 2003	Epiphany 2003: Herod and the Magi	The pagan Magi increased God's Kingom by submitting to Jesus and showing that Jesus is King of everyone, not just King of the Jews. Herod tried to narrow God's kingdom by placing Jesus under his power. Which do we do?
2002
30 December 2002	God Our Father: New Year's Day	Much of society judges us based upon merit and success; God our Father unconditionally loves us and accepts us.
23 December 2002	Mary's Availability: Fourth Sunday in Advent	This week Dan discusses the "Blessed Virgin Mary": Why is she blessed? In what ways are we like her? What can we learn from her?
16 December 2002	Testifying to the Light: Third Sunday in Advent (2002)	This essay discusses how and why "Testifying to the Light" can be a joyful act rather than something done with dread and obligation.
9 December 2002	Prepare Him Room: Second Sunday in Advent (2002)	In this essay, Dan continues his Advent series with "Prepare Him Room: Second Sunday in Advent". Dan discusses the theme of preparation through confession and repentance and how this opens us to God's forgiveness and love.
2 December 2002	Watching and Waiting: First Sunday in Advent (2002)	This essay is the first in a six week series of biblical meditations based upon the Scriptures from the lectionary texts: Advent (four weeks), New Year's, and Epiphany. The four advent essays are on waiting, preparation, witness and availability.
25 November 2002	Thanksgiving 2002: Giving Thanks in an Age of Entitlement	Grace and gratitude may often be trivialized, but in reality all that is good in life originates with them. This essay takes a look at some modern and not-so-modern examples.
18 November 2002	George Herbert (1593–1633): Pastor and Poet	A politically- and socially-advantaged person gives up a promising career in academia and government to become a pastor and poet in a period when clergymen have been publicly disgraced. Why?
11 November 2002	The New Cyber Intifada	Dan reviews Thomas Friedman's recent book Longitudes and Attitudes and notes how technology, in particular the instant communication capability of the internet, can be very destabilizing in our world of suspicion and distrust.
4 November 2002	Borg on the Bible	This essay reviews Marcus Borg's approach to interacting with the Bible. While clearly at odds with much of evangelical thought, his approach may nevertheless help in taking the Bible seriously.
28 October 2002	Modern Sainthood: All Saints Day 2002	How do we view sainthood? Who exactly is a saint? This essay takes a look at differing views.
21 October 2002	Why They Hate Us: Cultural Reform or Resurgent Culture?	What is the source of the anti-western sentiment growing increasingly evident around the world? Are the problems limited to a few extremists, or do they arise from fundamental differences between worldviews?
14 October 2002	Bottled Lightning: Early American Pentecostalism	This essay examines the beginnings of the Pentecostal movement in the early days of the 20th century, and what it has brought to Christianity in the years since.
7 October 2002	Successful Failure	We all experience episodes of failure in life. Many times we can learn from them. But how does God deal with our failure?
30 September 2002	Biotechnology and the Future of Humanity	Like a huge wildfire that creates its own windstorm, high technology and big science drag us into situations we aren't prepared for, politically, socially, or morally. What is the right course to take between the extremes of no control and total restriction?
23 September 2002	The View From Austria, 2002	How much of our faith is merely cultural, and how much is real? In this essay, Dan reflects upon the international nature of Christianity.
16 September 2002	God's Grace in Popular Culture: Two Books	In a culture engaged in a moral struggle commonly described by military metaphors, where, or how, does grace fit in?
9 September 2002	Remembering 911: One Year Later	Regarding the 9/11 tragedy, what are some ways we can respond as followers of Jesus? What are some relevant guiding principles that we should keep in mind?
2 September 2002	Malachi: Prophets Don't Joke	What is a prophet? What purpose does a prophet fulfil? What do prophets tell us about the connection between God and ourselves?
26 August 2002	Zechariah	We hear a lot about dreams and visions, and their meanings or lack thereof. Turns out Zechariah had quite a few too.
19 August 2002	Haggai: God is with us?!	This short book presents Haggai's four messages to the children of Israel as they return from exile. They show how God's ways are different from ours...and that He is to be acknowledged and trusted despite appearances.
12 August 2002	Zephaniah: The Day of the Lord	God's judgment is an infrequently-discussed topic. Dan takes a look at its characteristics and benefits as presented by Zephaniah.
5 August 2002	Habakkuk: Faith and Doubt	Have you ever had doubts about your Christian faith? What if you lost six loved ones in one day? Or if your nation was about to be destroyed?
29 July 2002	Nahum on Nineveh: Whatever Happened to Jonah?	Nahum gives gives us another take on Ninevah, but it is far different from that of Jonah: how do we reconcile them?
22 July 2002	Barcelona 2002	This week Dan takes a break from the minor prophets and considers the grim AIDS/HIV situation in Africa, and suggests how Jesus might want us to react to it.
15 July 2002	Micah: From Hell to Hope	What were those O.T. prophets really up to? In his “prophet concentrate”, Micah seems to hit all the bases.
8 July 2002	Jonah, a Fish and a Vine	Why is it so hard to carry a message of repentance and grace to an enemy? This essay investigates the case of Jonah.
1 July 2002	Obadiah and the 4th of July	Violence and destruction are anathema today, particularly so when done in the name of religion. So how then do we interpret the message of Obadiah?
24 June 2002	Amos: The Farmer Theologian Meets the Wealthy Elite	Which is more remarkable: that God chose a rough-hewn, uncultured man to carry a message of caring for the powerless to religious sophisticates, or the fact that they needed to hear it in the first place?
17 June 2002	Joel: God's Hand in My History	How are God's designs for us made known? Can we see God's hand at work in the events and circumstances of our existence?
10 June 2002	Hosea and Free Love	This first of twelve essays on the Minor Prophets takes a look at God's exasperation with, and love for, the nation of Israel in Hosea's day.
3 June 2002	Twelve Fortune-Tellers	Is Biblical prophecy mostly fortune-telling, or is it something much more? This essay introduces an upcoming series of twelve essays on the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament.
27 May 2002	A Sectarian Manifesto	Has evangelicalism fallen prey to a desire to make the Good News more palatable to modern ears? This essay looks to the Gospel of John to find out.
20 May 2002	Pentecost 2002	What is the ministry of the Spirit? What does it mean to live a Spirit-filled life? What did it mean to the Christian believers in the first century? This essay investigates.
13 May 2002	Ruth	What does it take for us to make progress on the journey with Jesus? Surprisingly little, it would seem.
6 May 2002	He Heard My Cry	What is our relationship with God really like? What is happening when we feel alienated from God, when it seems that no attention is being given to our needs?
29 April 2002	Faith and Film	The cinema is a mirror of modern life, a potential point of contact where Christians can engage, understand, and express their views concerning today's hopes, dreams, and worries. This essay takes a look at three ways to view movies.
22 April 2002	Permission Granted	In the words of the familiar adage, "we're in a world of hurt". How do we make sense of the pain that mere existence often brings?
15 April 2002	I-Chun Lin (1964–2002)	Dealing with death in all its ugly forms is difficult for us all. Surprised by the loss of a good friend, Dan addresses our search for wholeness and belonging, the antitheses of death, and how we can help each other.
8 April 2002	The World of the Weak	The world favors the young, the strong, the brilliant, the famous: and forgets the rest. But is meritocratic society overlooking something vital?
1 April 2002	Resurrection Power: Easter 2002	Why would a religion widely acknowledged to have provided the greatest moral teachings ever known be coupled so inseparably and unwaveringly to ludicrous claims of the resurrection of its founder?
25 March 2002	That Your Faith Might Not Fail: Palm Sunday 2002	The dark side of existence plays a prominent role in the Star Wars movie saga: but do we recognize how big a role our own personal ‘dark sides’ play in us?
18 March 2002	The Prayer of Saint Patrick	Are saints those who have been distinguished by great acts of faith and sacrifice, or are all of us who believe aptly called by this title? Dan takes a look at this as we remember the life of a beloved example.
11 March 2002	A Long Way To Go	This essay marks the one-year anniversary of The Journey with Jesus essay series! In it we are told of a monastery visit with a puzzling pronouncement, which Dan relates in several contexts to our own individual journeys.
4 March 2002	The Voice of Experience	In this essay, Dan grapples with the role that experiences play in interpreting and furthering our Christian life.
25 February 2002	Warrior Politics: Making the Best of a Bad Job	Tough choices face those in leadership positions: implementing rule of right, not might, is not as easy as it sounds.
18 February 2002	Presidents' Day 2002	This essay provides a fascinating glimpse at the life of one U.S. president who described his own conscience as “neat and easy”.
11 February 2002	Ash Wednesday 2002	This essay examines the role certain spiritual disciplines play in the life of the Christian church today.
4 February 2002	My First Prozac	The human condition illustrates vividly that all is not well with the world. This essay looks at ways that sin divides us from ourselves, from each other, and most of all from God, and in a beautiful quote from Luther reminds us of God's grace to those who believe.
28 January 2002	A Prayer for the New Year 2002	This essay marvels at the grace and forgiveness God has shown to us, and prays for wisdom, direction, and mercy for others as we consider the extent of our time upon this earth.
21 January 2002	Honoring King	This essay looks at racial hostility and reconciliation, and what the New Testament has to say about them.
14 January 2002	America the Beautiful?	Dan investigates symptoms of change in American society and diagnoses the most likely outcome: culture death.
7 January 2002	Epiphany 2002	This week's essay discusses several revolutionary effects that Christ's appearing has had on this world, and challenges us to persistently seek increased understanding of our lives from Him.
2001
31 December 2001	The Fullness of Time	The approach of a new year is always a time for reflection about where we have been and where we are headed. This essay looks at a number of views of history, both Christian and secular.
24 December 2001	Be Not Afraid	In the last of four essays for Advent, Dan considers events that cause us to fear, and God's reassuring statements to people of faith.
17 December 2001	The Man Without the Miracle	In the third of four essays for Advent, Dan considers several cases where people of faith endured suffering, including a few who died without deliverance from their persecutors—and what this means for us.
10 December 2001	The Fork and The Fire	This second of four essays for Advent considers the generally unpopular topic of judgment and the modern propensity to trivialize it.
3 December 2001	Between the Times	In this first of four essays on Advent, Dan takes a look backward at the birth of Christ and considers some of the implications this event holds for us today.
26 November 2001	Thanksgiving 2001	Dan takes a look at the nature of true gratitude and reminds us that we can indeed do something for others.
19 November 2001	Pluralism: A Theological Challenge	In this third of three essays on religious pluralism, Dan takes up the challenge of theological constraints and contrasts it with the feel-good, all-roads-climb-the-same-mountain approach to pluralism.
12 November 2001	Pluralism: A Civic Responsibility	In this second of three essays on religious pluralism, Dan considers how national unity might be obtained in a religiously diverse culture.
5 November 2001	Who Are We? Religious Pluralism as Our New Social Reality	In this first of three essays on the diversity of cultures and religions in America, Dan surveys several aspects of “religious pluralism” and shows how they are in evidence in American society today.
29 October 2001	All Saints Day	All Saints' Eve: aka “All Hallow Even” (circa 1700), or today, Halloween, according to Mr. Webster and the brothers Merriam. Here Dan contrasts the commonplace practice of the customs of Halloween with the immensely more important but almost totally neglected remembrance of the saints.
22 October 2001	Constantine's Sword	Dan reflects upon James Carroll's recent book, Constantine's Sword, drawn from the “Christian complicity in history's greatest evils” genre. Dan considers collective guilt, personal moral choice, whether traditional theology inevitably leads to tragic history, and contrasts arguments supporting Christian self-incrimination with arguments supporting the non-complicity of traditional Islam in the September 11 tragedies.
15 October 2001	Bombs Bursting in Air	In this week's essay Dan weighs the sometime necessity of military intervention in holding back evil against the ideals and responsibilities of worshiping the Lord who loves all people, and examines three reasons for his unease at our response to the acts of September 11.
8 October 2001	Surviving Church	In this essay Dan discusses the disinterested manner in which many people view the activity known as “attending church” and discovers some of the bleak reasons for it. He comments on Philip Yancey's recently released book Soul Survivor and discovers several clues to improvement.
1 October 2001	For Glory and For Beauty	What are we to make of the aesthetics of life? Are beautiful things merely fortunate extras in our technological society, to be noticed only when we have time and inclination? Or are they something more? Dan investigates the goodness of beauty in this essay.
24 September 2001	The Blame Game	Politics, culture, and the Gospel.
17 September 2001	When Darkness Reigns	Peace, prayer, and September 11, 2001.
10 September 2001	A Very Good Place	Christians are frequently perceived as regarding the good and pleasurable things in our world with a healthy dose of suspicion and distrust. However, the Bible designates much of the world as good. How has this disparity come to be?
3 September 2001	Peet's and The Prince	In this week's essay, Dan recounts an adventurous trek through Costa Rica and Ethiopia in search of good coffee and discovers a challenge for Christians.
27 August 2001	Jesus Loves the Little Children	Stereotypes, labels, superficial interactions—these are mechanisms we use every day to avoid interacting with the people around us. In this essay, Dan considers the ways in which Jesus loved and interacted with people in his day.
20 August 2001	Strictly By the Numbers	Ever feel like your life has been reduced to a series of numbers? That you're just a cog on a nameless wheel? Do you dread hearing the chant “Press 1 for service, press 2 to leave a message, press 3 for...”? Dan muses upon the quantity and quality of life.
13 August 2001	Summer Reading	Books enrich us all...and Dan investigates several recent favorites in this essay (and a few he didn't finish, as well!).
6 August 2001	The Bible Tells Me So	Scripture confusion: you read it, I read it, someone else reads it...and among the three of us there are five opinions about what it means. What's going on? Dan takes a look at the role Scripture plays in our faith.
30 July 2001	Luther on Marriage	Luther often contrasted “unregenerate, natural reason” with Christian faith—and ended up married as a consequence. This essay reminds us that things deemed to be important in contemporary culture may not be so in the kingdom of God...and vice versa.
23 July 2001	Nero	Christian believers have been persecuted by mainstream society for their differences (belief in Jesus' resurrection, refusal to worship other gods, among others) since day one. But what does this mean for us today? How does it play out in the world we know?
16 July 2001	London	A rookie tourist experiences culturally diverse London and reflects upon diversity and commonality in the Christian experience.
9 July 2001	A Poem of Saint Bonaventure	This essay takes a look at reconciling the life of the mind and the life of the heart: a topic of considerable relevance to all of us!
2 July 2001	Eat the Fat, Drink the Wine	Do we enjoy ourselves as much as we ought as Christians? Do we restrain our impulses more than we should? Dan takes a look at the serious business of rejoicing!
25 June 2001	The Monastics on Money	Money: most of think we could use more of it. What does it take to be faithful to God and each other in our use of it?
18 June 2001	The Genealogy of Jesus	A family's genealogy tells us a lot about where they've been, and perhaps something about what may be expected of them in the future. But what does Jesus' genealogy tell us about God (and ourselves)?
11 June 2001	Embracing Bad Taste	Dan takes a look at popular expressions of Christianity vs. ‘higher’ versions of the same: are they adversaries or allies?
4 June 2001	When Wrong Feels Right	How is it that enormous evil can be done in the name of good? And often by those who are considered “normal, everyday people”?
28 May 2001	Vincent's Vexation	Following up last week's topic, unity in the faith, how do we approach the task of deciding what is essential vs. what is merely important?
21 May 2001	A Prayerful Admonition	Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, neo-apostolic: what are we to make of the fragmentation of the faithful? The church should value both doctrinal purity and complete unity: what are we to do?
14 May 2001	Welcoming Embrace	To what extent are evangelical Christians seen as grace-filled people? There's plenty of evidence that cuts both ways.
7 May 2001	The Church, Our Mother	As Mother's Day approaches, Dan looks at the Church as our Mother.
30 April 2001	A Boring Problem	Is today's university a Christless hellhole? Diane Komp does not think so, and neither does Dan.
23 April 2001	Does Religion Matter?	Does religion matter? For most people it does, but not for many intellectuals, and especially not for our most elite scientists.
16 April 2001	Take Up and Read	The Protestant tradition is a book tradition. In the Journey with Jesus this week Dan explores what this means.
9 April 2001	Getting To Yes	Dan says: “In my essay this week I look at Peter, who was the leader of the twelve apostles and the first bishop of Rome. But he denied the Lord at least six times and needed to be converted beyond his initial conversion.”
2 April 2001	Borg on Belief	In his essay this week Dan looks at the work of Marcus Borg, one of today's important New Testament scholars and leaders of the Jesus Seminar.
26 March 2001	Life Unfiltered	Dan explores an aphorism by Kierkegaard: “Life can only be understood backwards, but it can only be lived forwards.”

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Journey with Jesus Essays - A Comprehensive Index

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Journey with Jesus Essays - A Comprehensive Index