Our pastor has been preaching through Genesis lately, which has prompted me to reflect more on heroes. In particular, I was struck by a sermon on Genesis 12:10-20 and the escapades of Abraham. As the father of Ishmael and Isaac, Abraham occupies a special place in three of the world’s major religions. So, one would…
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I have written several thousand articles and had a hand in writing or editing dozens of books. But my skill with words doesn’t extend to painting, drawing, sculpting or other artistic endeavors. I can’t draw a decent stick figure. That’s probably one reason I have such admiration for those who can bring things to life…
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From all indications pastors are having a tough time these days. Hence, the recent survey that revealed nearly one in four pastors admit to having some mental health issues, including depression. A number of pastoral suicides have made national headlines in recent months. Some, like one in our area a few months back, are known…
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The week before the latest NFL, pro football season kicked off, an acquaintance who has remarked several times about my affinity for the Cleveland Browns commented on how good they were looking this year. “When you’ve been a Browns fan for 60 years, you know better than to buy into the hype,” I replied. “And…
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I no longer read a newspaper on Mondays. At least, not the dead-tree variety. Scanning local news requires going online after our city’s paper recently cancelled Monday deliveries. A fate too familiar to newspapers these days. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much. Much larger cities—Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and Birmingham among them—have gone through print-edition…
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Living in West Virginia, the sight of three crosses on a hillside—the center painted gold, flanked on each side by a pale blue one—is a common sight. However, until I attended a presentation recently by a Marshall University professor, I didn’t know much about the fascinating story behind them. David Pittenger, dean of MU’s graduate…
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Fertilizer. I guess it’s been on my mind a lot this summer as I have surveyed the pathetic output of our side-yard garden. In the past, we often picked tomatoes into October. Not this year. It’s the worst I’ve seen in an on-and-off practice of nearly 40 years. I could say we plucked a dozen…
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With the megachurch movement alive and well—and forecast to see even bigger growth—it is easy to get enthralled with numbers in church life. Namely, the bigger we are, the better. I have discovered that isn’t always the case. Case in point was the recent monthly worship gathering of an interdenominational group that sponsors regular spiritual…
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The recent marital separation of bestselling author Joshua Harris — whose 1997 book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, propelled him to national fame—didn’t raise too many eyebrows. Sadly, divorce is too common in our world to cause a kerfuffle. However, when Harris followed soon after with an announcement that he was walking away from his faith…
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Two more crimes were committed last week in full view of millions of Americans. Yet no one will be arrested or charged with any violations. I refer to the latest round of Democratic presidential debates, which began in late June—more than 16 months ahead of the 2020 election. I know I’m not the only one…
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