Death Isn’t Always About Dying

In a previous post, “The Serpent Didn’t Lie About Death,” I asserted that the true consequence of The Fall in Genesis 3 was not dying, which is actually a very natural part of life, but something much worse—the loss of our humanity. If this is so—and I really believe it is—then it has major ramifications...

Should You Personalize Bible Verses That Aren’t Personal?

My wife is mad at me because I took away one of her favorite verses. Well, not me, actually, but Shannon McWilliams. Shannon’s teaching is usually derivative of my own, which is good because it keeps him from error. When he goes off on his own he tends toward heresy. On this one occasion, however, he went...

In a Far Land

This is the second of four messages on the Prodigal Son. For last week’s message click here. Last week I attended the inaugural Frederick Buechner Religious Writer’s Workshop. If you don’t know who Frederick Buechner is, I encourage you to find out. He’s a the author of over thirty books, none of them...

The Grace of Remembering No More

When there’s a fuss over what to name a baby, something is going on. In Matthew 1, while Zechariah was serving his priestly rotation at the Temple, the angel Gabriel appears and announces that, in spite of their advanced years, they will have a baby boy, and Gabriel is very clear about his name. “You will...