Three Short Reflections for Autumn
Although I love all four seasons, I have a special fondness for autumn. Where I live, it comes with cooler temperatures, shorter days, and brilliant colors. You can’t miss fall or ignore it. Today I’ve selected three autumn photos for you: a woods, an apple tree, and a burning bush. For each picture I’ve written a short reflection. I invite you to take a few moments now to enjoy this beautiful but fleeting season. (more…)
16 Turtles on a Log
The other day I saw an amazing sight: 16 turtles sunning themselves on a log in a nearby lake. Sixteen! I counted them several times just to be sure I had the number right. Every now and then one turtle would jump off or fall off or be pushed off by another turtle. But I did see all 16 at the same time on that log. Actually there were two logs side by side. (more…)
What Did Jesus Look Like?
Today we’re going to explore a fun question: What did Jesus look like? I think it’s a fun question because nobody knows the answer. After all, we have no snapshots and no painted portraits of Jesus. We have no DNA evidence either. (More about that later). Even the Gospels give us few clues as to what Jesus looked like. (More about that later too). So let’s take a look at two major speculations.
Getting off a Dead Horse
A few years back I heard a seminary professor say: “If the horse you are riding dies, get off.” (more…)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
I just finished reading the book Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas. Though a New York Times bestseller, the book is not an easy read. First of all, it’s 608 pages. Secondly it takes you into the heart of Nazi Germany where Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor and theologian, took a stand against Adolf Hitler and his policies, a decision that eventually led to his death in a concentration camp. (more…)
