|
Date Posted |
Title |
Topic |
|
|
19 March 2001 |
Made for Thyself |
Dan comments on wisdom, power, and wealth—so envied in Silicon Valley—and an alternative plot for a fulfilling life. |
26 March 2001 |
Life Unfiltered |
Dan explores an aphorism by Kierkegaard: “Life can only be understood backwards, but it can only be lived forwards.” |
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. |
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.” |
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. |
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. |
30 April 2001 |
A Boring Problem |
Is today's university a Christless hellhole? Diane Komp does not think so, and neither does Dan. |
7 May 2001 |
The Church, Our Mother |
As Mother's Day approaches, Dan looks at the Church as our Mother. |
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. |
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? |
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? |
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”? |
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? |
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)? |
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? |
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! |
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! |
16 July 2001 |
London |
A rookie tourist experiences culturally diverse London and reflects upon diversity and commonality in the Christian experience. |
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? |
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. |
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. |
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!). |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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? |
17 September 2001 |
When Darkness Reigns |
Peace, prayer, and September 11, 2001. |
24 September 2001 |
The Blame Game |
Politics, culture, and the Gospel. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
|
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. |
14 January 2002 |
America the Beautiful? |
Dan investigates symptoms of change in American society and diagnoses the most likely outcome: culture death. |
21 January 2002 |
Honoring King |
This essay looks at racial hostility and reconciliation, and what the New Testament has to say about them. |
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. |
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. |
11 February 2002 |
Ash Wednesday 2002 |
This essay examines the role certain spiritual disciplines play in the life of the Christian church today. |
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”. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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? |
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? |
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? |
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. |
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? |
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. |
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? |
13 May 2002 |
Ruth |
What does it take for us to make progress on the journey with Jesus? Surprisingly little, it would seem. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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? |
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? |
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? |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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? |
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? |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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? |
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? |
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? |
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. |
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? |
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? |
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. |
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? |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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? |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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? |
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. |
|
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? |
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? |
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. |
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' " |
3 February 2003 |
Religious Terror |
This week Dan discusses violence in the name of religion. |
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". |
17 February 2003 |
What Would Jesus Bomb? |
Reflections on a possible war in Iraq. |
24 February 2003 |
Mea Culpa, O Felix Culpa |
Comments on sin 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. |
10 March 2003 |
Tempted, Tried, and Sometimes Failing |
Dan continues his Lenten series with this essay about temptation and grace. |
17 March 2003 |
He Spoke Plainly |
Should the Christian life be "one rousing victory after another"? |
24 March 2003 |
Lent and the Law |
On the way to the grace of Easter we should consider our relationship to God's law. |
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. |
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". |
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". |
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. |
28 April 2003 |
Remembering Columbine |
Reflections on violence in America. |
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. |
12 May 2003 |
Love Thyself |
"Be yourself" -- is this good advice for Christians or not? |
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? |
26 May 2003 |
The Dark Side of Democracy |
Dan considers the effects of capitalism and democracy in the world. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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? |
2004
[There are no essays for the
period from July 2003 to May 2004] |
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. |
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. |
5 July 2004 |
Transformed Nonconformity |
Do Christians present any additional resistance to cultural conformity
than found in the general population? |
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. |
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? |
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. |
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. |
9 August 2004 |
Les Exclus |
What would Isaiah have to say about the oppressed and overlooked peoples of our day? |
16 August 2004 |
Reckless Lies |
False prophets speak soothing words, but they are harmful to your health. |
23 August 2004 |
Code Lunches |
Observing guests and hosts at a dinner party, Jesus comments on food as a metaphor for power. |
30 August 2004 |
Choose Life! |
One Christian view of the cost of war in Iraq |
6 September 2004 |
Only A Small Beginning |
Our progress in the Christian life might be limited, but God's patience is unlimited. |
13 September 2004 |
Portfolio Performance |
How we relate to money is one barometer of our spiritual health. |
20 September 2004 |
Playing Favorites |
In sharing our wealth we care for our souls. |
27 September 2004 |
Patience in Unknowing |
Where is God when it hurts? |
4 October 2004 |
Far From Home: Exile |
Everyone wants their own exodus, but what does it mean to live in exile? |
11 October 2004 |
Hijacked? |
Is God Republican or Democrat? |
18 October 2004 |
The Jesus Prayer |
The most important prayer you will ever pray, in just seven words. |
25 October 2004 |
Lost and Found |
Some cliches are true: confession is good for the soul. |
1 November 2004 |
The Politics of God and Man |
The prophet Daniel illuminates the politics of God and man. |
8 November 2004 |
It Seems Like Nothing |
God is present even in the dust and dirt of our lives. |
15 November 2004 |
Of Mortal Ills Prevailing |
However tumultuous, external conflicts and inner torments cannot vanquish the mighty presence of God. |
22 November 2004 |
War No More |
Advent 2004, the last days as the Hebrew prophet Isaiah saw them. |
29 November 2004 |
I Pledge Allegiance |
Our ultimate pledge of allegiance to the kingdom of God relativizes all other allegiances. |
6 December 2004 |
Where God Was Homeless |
The transcendent God enters our own world of homelessness, pain and loss. |
13 December 2004 |
Bette Midler Was Wrong |
A single Hebrew word captures the essence of Christmas. |
20 December 2004 |
He Too Was Distressed |
What's in an image (of Jesus)? |
27 December 2004 |
A Generous Orthodoxy |
Brian McLaren's new book provokes Dan's New Year resolutions. |
|
3 January 2005 |
The Voice of the Lord |
In their love affair with books Protestants discover the voice of the Lord. |
| The Tsunami Disaster; One Christian Response January 3, 2005 |
A special essay regarding the tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004. |
10 January 2005 |
Disillusioned With Church |
The many failures of the church should not prevent our loyalty to it. |
17 January 2005 |
Falling Out for Trifles |
The Corinthian heresy of schism, then and now. |
24 January 2005 |
Why Richard is Wrong |
A response to the atheist Richard Dawkins on the tsunami disaster |
31 January 2005 |
Cleverly Invented Tales? |
Is the Gospel just a tall tale? |
7 February 2005 |
Memento Morum: A Dialogue with Death |
The first 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. |
21 February 2005 |
He Stayed Two Days |
The third 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. |
7 March 2005 |
Surely He Could Have Prevented This? |
The fifth essay in a six week series for Lent 2005 |
14 March 2005 |
The Bottom Billions: Terror on Every Side |
The sixth essay in a six week series for Lent 2005. |
21 March 2005 |
This Is The Message |
Dan's essay for Easter 2005. |
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. |
4 April 2005 |
Pope John Paul II (1920-2005) |
We grieve the loss of this great Christian leader, but not as those without hope. |
| Absolute Moral Clarity? The Case of Terri Schiavo |
One Christian view of the Terri Schiavo case. |
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. |
18 April 2005 |
Anthony Flew's "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" |
A prominent atheist converts to theism. |
25 April 2005 |
The Areopagus Then and Now |
Paul's address to the Athenians at the Areopagus. |
2 May 2005 |
Our Global God: Witness with Power |
From unlikely beginnings, the Gospel goes truly global. |
9 May 2005 |
The Curse Reversed: Pentecost 2005 |
Pentecost Sunday, 2005. |
16 May 2005 |
Over All the Earth: A Triple Play Threat |
Three contemporary challenges for Christian care of God's good creation. |
23 May 2005 |
Under the Surface of Life: Just As I Am |
Outside of Christ, inside myself, or inside of Christ outside myself? |
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." |
6 June 2005 |
Sarah: On Laughter and Lying |
Abraham's wife Sarah laughed at God's promise and then denied her disbelief. |
13 June 2005 |
Ishmael: God Hears and Sees |
The story of Ishmael reminds us that God sees and hears all of our cares. |
20 June 2005 |
When God Tested Abraham |
Abraham's radical, obedient faith in his sacrifice of Isaac. |
27 June 2005 |
Peace to the Nations |
Political poetry from 2,500 years ago guides our national celebration. |
4 July 2005 |
Jacob and Esau: A Theology of Pathology |
Yahweh works out humanity's salvation within a history of multi-generational family dysfunction. |
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. |
18 July 2005 |
Inseparable Love |
Nothing in all of creation can separate you from God's love, says Paul. |
25 July 2005 |
Jacob at the River Jabbok |
Jacob wrestles with God at the river Jabbok. |
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.) |
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.) |
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).) |
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.) |
29 August 2005 |
When Faith is Hijacked |
Religious violence and 9–11. |
5 September 2005 |
The Arithmetic of Forgiveness |
Fourth anniversary of the 9–11 attacks. |
12 September 2005 |
Employee #00001 |
The economy and geography of divine grace. |
19 September 2005 |
The Monster Who Was Sorry |
The centrality of repentance in the Christian story. |
26 September 2005 |
Ten Words |
The 10 Commandments in modern life. |
3 October 2005 |
Idolatry: From A Golden Calf To "Military Metaphysics" |
Idolatry old and new: from a golden calf to a military metaphysic. |
10 October 2005 |
Show Me The Money: Unconditional Allegiance to the Unconditioned God |
Rendering to caesar and to God—what does it mean? |
17 October 2005 |
Coming Closer to Myself: Reflections on Turning 50 |
Dan reflects on turning fifty. |
24 October 2005 |
Correcting the Correction: Reformation Day 2005 (October 31) |
Dan comments on Reformation Day 2005. |
31 October 2005 |
Everyday Lives of Ordinary People; All Saints Day 2005 |
Reflections for All Saints Day 2005. |
7 November 2005 |
Coming in Glory |
The "second coming" of Jesus Christ. |
14 November 2005 |
Global Joy for "All Ye Lands" |
Thanksgiving reflections on Psalm 100. |
21 November 2005 |
Drinking Tears By The Bowlful: Waiting |
First Sunday in Advent, 2005, on waiting. |
28 November 2005 |
Close to His Heart: Tenderness |
Second Sunday in Advent, 2005, on the tenderness of God and World AIDS Day. |
5 December 2005 |
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Third Sunday in Advent, 2005, on God's biases that subvert conventional wisdom. |
12 December 2005 |
Mary |
Fourth Sunday in Advent, 2005, on Mary's availability. |
19 December 2005 |
When the Time Came: Christmas 2005 |
Weekly lectionary essay for Christmas 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. |
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2 January 2006 |
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Tookie Williams, John the Baptist and Jesus. |
9 January 2006 |
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Samuel and the the silence of God. |
16 January 2006 |
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, 2006. |
23 January 2006 |
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Who really speaks for God, and how do we know? |
30 January 2006 |
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The prophet Isaiah reminds us of God's unfailing tenderness despite our many trials, faults and failures. |
6 February 2006 |
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The outsider Naaman teaches religious insiders a thing or two. |
13 February 2006 |
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Isaiah encourages us to forget the past and to let go of our stories. |
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A special essay for Ash Wednesday 2006. |
20 February 2006 |
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The Transfiguration of Jesus. |
27 February 2006 |
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Lenten repentance and care for creation. |
6 March 2006 |
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The way of the cross for Jesus and for us. |
13 March 2006 |
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Jesus's cleansing of the temple unsettles our false sense of security. |
20 March 2006 |
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Lenten confession precedes Easter resurrection. |
27 March 2006 |
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King David's confession in Psalm 51. |
3 April 2006 |
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An open letter to President George W. Bush on Palm Sunday 2006. |
10 April 2006 |
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Easter Sunday 2006. Doubt and disbelief lend authenticity to the apostolic record. |
17 April 2006 |
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Glimpses of the early Christian movement. |
24 April 2006 |
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The global identity of Christians qualifies our geo-political commitments. |
1 May 2006 |
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Is Jesus the only way? |
8 May 2006 |
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The fullness of faith in experiences of abandonment. |
15 May 2006 |
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Psalm 98 and subversive acts of Christian joy. |
22 May 2006 |
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The mysterious destinies of Judas and his successor Matthias. |
29 May 2006 |
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Pentecost 2006: Fullness of the Spirit in the brokenness of life. |
5 June 2006 |
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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.) |
12 June 2006 |
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A meditation on the significance of promise-making, both human and divine. (Guest essay by Don Thorsen, Professor of Theology at Azusa Pacific University.) |
19 June 2006 |
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The story of David and Goliath provokes an exploration of violence in God's name. |
26 June 2006 |
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War atrocities ancient and modern remind us of the true nature of war, and that peace is patriotic. |
3 July 2006 |
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A theology of human weakness from the apostle Paul. (Guest essay by Dan Lewis, Senior Pastor of Troy Christian Chapel, Troy, Michigan.) |
10 July 2006 |
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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.) |
17 July 2006 |
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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.) |
24 July 2006 |
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Every human being enjoys God's family favor. |
31 July 2006 |
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Ecumenical gratitude for the saints in Liberia. |
7 August 2006 |
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Virtue and vice according to Saint Paul. |
14 August 2006 |
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The politics of God and man in the reign of King Solomon. |
21 August 2006 |
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Many disciples deserted Jesus. |
28 August 2006 |
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To the command to "be holy" Jesus added "be compassionate." |
4 September 2006 |
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Don't flatter the rich or insult the poor, for their Maker God is also their advocate. |
11 September 2006 |
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Examining the relationship between science and faith. |
18 September 2006 |
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Little children, God's kingdom, and human greatness. |
25 September 2006 |
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World Communion Sunday |
2 October 2006 |
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Moving from smug sanctimony to human empathy. |
9 October 2006 |
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God's providential care in the dark shadows of life. |
16 October 2006 |
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Jesus on the will to power, grasping for glory and human greatness. |
23 October 2006 |
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Life lessons from the book of Job. |
30 October 2006 |
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On the connection between loving God and loving people whom we don't like. |
6 November 2006 |
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Political illusions and Biblical reality. |
13 November 2006 |
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Ten warning signs that religion has become evil and evil has become religious. |
20 November 2006 |
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The clashing kingdoms of Pontius Pilate and Christ the King. |
27 November 2006 |
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First Sunday in Advent, 2006. |
4 December 2006 |
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Second Sunday in Advent, 2006. |
11 December 2006 |
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Third Sunday in Advent, 2006. |
18 December 2006 |
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Fourth Sunday in Advent, 2006: Mary's Magnificat. |
25 December 2006 |
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The boy Jesus in the temple. |
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1 January 2007 |
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Jesus's baptism by John the Baptist. |
8 January 2007 |
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Jesus turns water into wine at the wedding at Cana. |
15 January 2007 |
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Nehemiah and subversive acts of joy. |
22 January 2007 |
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Call and conflict, divine summons and human struggle, in the prophet Jeremiah. |
29 January 2007 |
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Human sin, failure, and inadequacy are not obstacles to God's call. |
5 February 2007 |
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Reflections on Jeremiah, Paul, and Luke. (Guest essay by Deborah Core. professor of English at Eastern Kentucky University.) |
12 February 2007 |
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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.) |
19 February 2007 |
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Enlarging our capacity for suffering and for joy. (Guest essay by Nora Gallagher, noted author and a member of Trinity Episcopal Church Santa Barbara.) |
26 February 2007 |
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Saint Anthony advises us to "expect trials until your last breath." |
5 March 2007 |
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The death of a neighbor and a Gospel story. |
12 March 2007 |
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Ecology and the environment as Lenten disciplines. (Guest essay by Daniel Deffenbaugh, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska.) |
19 March 2007 |
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Reflections on the fourth anniversary of the Iraq War. |
26 March 2007 |
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Palm Sunday 2007 and why Jesus died. |
2 April 2007 |
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Faith and doubt in the resurrection of Jesus, Easter 2007. |
9 April 2007 |
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Morgan Tsvangirai: we must obey God rather than men. |
16 April 2007 |
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Faith, failure and restoration in the Christian life. |
23 April 2007 |
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In the book of Revelation God dries every tear of every person in every tribe and tongue. |
30 April 2007 |
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The Apostle Peter learns about the inclusive love of God from the Gentile Cornelius. |
7 May 2007 |
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If Paul had a Macedonian vision, can we expect the same? |
14 May 2007 |
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What would Christian "branding" look like? |
21 May 2007 |
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Pentecost Sunday 2007. |
28 May 2007 |
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How a Christian view of reality transcends normal human wisdom. |
4 June 2007 |
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Paul's conversion from religious fanaticism to love for all people. |
11 June 2007 |
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Jesus, women, and identity politics. |
18 June 2007 |
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The weekly webzine Journey with Jesus celebrates three years. |
25 June 2007 |
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The priority and pre-eminence of Christian love. |
2 July 2007 |
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9 July 2007 |
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The prophet Amos stares down the priest Amaziah and the king Jeroboam. |
16 July 2007 |
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The prophet Amos on the failed state of Israel, with parallels to modern America. |
23 July 2007 |
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30 July 2007 |
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In Christ there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free. |
6 August 2007 |
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A tribute to Tammy Faye Bakker Messner. |
13 August 2007 |
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