Latest Posts
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How to find Westvleteren: Directions to Vleteren for those making the pilgrimage
Read more: How to find Westvleteren: Directions to Vleteren for those making the pilgrimageMany beer connaisseurs claim that the best beer in the world is made in a small town in western Belgium called Vleteren. This beer is known as Westvleteren. It is brewed by Trappist monks in their monastery and the proceeds support various charities. It is incredibly rare and hard to find in Belgium, let alone…
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“Being Poor doesn’t make you any Holier… or does it?”
Read more: “Being Poor doesn’t make you any Holier… or does it?”“One thing my dad always used to say was that it was only fair for him, or any pastor for that matter, to receive the same sort of compensation as any other teacher in that local market. Besides… being poor doesn’t make you any holier.” For whatever reason, about 4 years ago, this statement was…
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I Still Believe
Read more: I Still BelieveI know it’s the 21st century, but here’s the thing: I’m a Christian. By definition, I have old-school beliefs. That might be a newsflash to the critics, who often react to biblical, traditional and altogether unsurprising beliefs with dropped jaws, as if Christians haven’t preached these things for two thousand years: “Do you seriously believe…
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Christian Beer and the Question of Weed
Read more: Christian Beer and the Question of WeedThis week I’m in Amsterdam for the International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. Yes, that’s right, a Bible conference in Amsterdam. I can already say that this city is one of my favorites. It is absolutely wonderful. The canals and architecture are picturesque and make me wish I intended to stay longer. Of course,…
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The Dark Knight Rises Review
Read more: The Dark Knight Rises ReviewSome Spoilers Ahead (I’m not really sure what counts as a spoiler these days) It is so hard to live up to the hype. Nolan made us like Batman again with Begins and he showed us what the potential of super hero movies were with The Dark Knight. So much so, that people complained the…
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Pro-Marriage…but Above All, Pro-Jesus (and perhaps anti-self)
Read more: Pro-Marriage…but Above All, Pro-Jesus (and perhaps anti-self)“I can’t help but feel a little offended by Paul.” This phrase might be one you would expect to hear from one who has for the first time come across some of Paul’s passages for the first time. Perhaps from one reading his emotional introduction to Galatians. Or perhaps from another who has a hard…
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God Feeds Us: Finding Acceptance in the Eucharist
Read more: God Feeds Us: Finding Acceptance in the EucharistWhen I was a kid, tons of things scared me–not the least of which was taking Communion. I can remember walking into church and being filled with dread when I saw the Communion trays stacked at the front of sanctuary. I would spend the entire service wracking my brain trying to remember and confess everything…
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On F Bombs and Christian Music: A Reflection on P.O.D.’s Newest Album, Murdered Love
Read more: On F Bombs and Christian Music: A Reflection on P.O.D.’s Newest Album, Murdered LoveLast week the Christian rap-metal band P.O.D. (Payable on Death) came out with their eighth album, Murdered Love. When I first heard that P.O.D. was releasing a new album I was quite excited. There was a time when P.O.D. was my all-time favorite band. Indeed, they functioned like a doorway for me into the world of…
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The Evangelical Dream: The Wife, The Kids, and the Thriving Ministry
Read more: The Evangelical Dream: The Wife, The Kids, and the Thriving MinistryI think the “American Dream” is a sham that my culture tries to sell me on. It tells me to get married in my early thirties after I am done partying. I am supposed to have kids within my first decade of marriage (not too early: got to save up for that house down-payment). I…
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Homosexuality: Does Jesus Even Care?
Read more: Homosexuality: Does Jesus Even Care?Homosexuality remains a hot topic both in and outside the church. But discussing it at length comes with two inherent dangers: either we see homosexuality as worse than all other sins, or we act as though it’s no sin at all. Last week, I responded to the first danger by reminding readers that Christians who…