One of my favorite stories as a child was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll, a kind, beloved doctor, discovers a way to separate his public persona from the dark urges he suppressed. When this happens, his repressed self – Mr. Hyde – begins to take over his life. It is a wonderful story because it is about all of us. Individuals and groups of individuals always have both stated and unstated values. Many companies, for example, have inspiring stated values. When they put those values to music and combine them with a few testimonials, they move consumers to
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I arrived early for an appointment this morning and decided to stop at Starbucks. I ordered my coffee and began chatting with the barista as she poured it. It was an uncomplicated order. My taste in coffee is simple: a dark roast with a bit of cream. I soon realized that after taking my order the barista had not heard a thing I had said. She realized that too, and kindly took off her headset to ask what I was saying. I felt bad. She was trying to take orders from drive-in clients and I was asking her for attention
A woman once called to ask why I served communion to children. I told her that it was because the Lord said not to forbid children to come to him. “But they don’t understand it,” she said. “Do you?” I asked. “Well … kind of,” she replied. “Do you understand more now than in years past?” I continued. “Yes, of course,” she said. “Jesus didn’t say, ‘Take and understand,’ I replied. “He said take and eat.” The Service of the Lord’s Table, the central act of Christian worship, like all sacraments embodies, anchors, and incorporates spiritual life into the totality
When we hear a person say that our country should be a Christian nation, it is worth asking that person to describe in more detail what he has in mind. Should our Christian nation be Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Pentecostal, or something else? If only one of these is ‘real’ Christianity, then what will we do with the other Christian expressions? And will Christians, once in power, govern our nation in the way they have governed their denominations and parachurches? We also hear people saying that we are not electing a pastor or a saint, but rather a political leader.
When my granddaughter was little, I used to take her on a walk near our house. Crossing a footbridge over the little creek, I would tell her the story about the troll and the Billy goats. After a while, she began grasping my hand as we crossed. One day, as we were approaching the bridge, she said, “Abba. I have been thinking about trolls.” “Oh?” I said, surprised. “I’ve decided that trolls might be small and not big.” Waiting a moment, she added, “and, trolls might be nice and not mean.” I nodded, admitting this was a possibility. “I have
I see posts on social media nearly every day about immoral lifestyles and ungodly behavior. The writers use scripture to paint a dark picture about the state of things in our country. They usually go on to decry the intellectual struggles of younger Christians and how this reveals their lack of spiritual commitment. And so forth. Fair enough. I too am alarmed about the state of things. In the past, I was an active part of all the denunciation. I stopped. Why? Because I do not believe the church has retained enough moral capital to speak into the moral life