This past month I had the great privilege to participate in an “OLLI” course with our local funeral home director, rabbi, and Orthodox priest. I was surprised that there was less I knew about the Orthodox mourning traditions, than I did about Jewish ones. One tradition was “Soul Saturdays” which […]
Mack
202 posts
The Collect: Second Sunday of Easter, Rite Two Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus […]
Hope is the promise of our future; that is what it means to be a survivor. It is not simply continuing to exist after the waves have crashed over us, but to dream, to make new plans, find new and different meaning: to live.
Some Christians believe God rewards the faithful. So why did I get Stage 4 cancer? A powerful piece by Kate Bowler of Duke Divinity. She has literally written the book on the prosperity gospel and was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. She notes the irony of her having written a […]
When we arrived at the hospital to see Mack, he had been flown down from State College to Penn State Hershey Medical Center, a minister met us and took us to the “quiet room.” Ironic since it is a place for people to cry and yell. I knew what was […]
I am reading various sources as I work on my book, “Beautiful and Terrible Things: A Biblical Theology of Suffering and Grace.” I came across a lecture at a PCA church on suffering that included this argument. The Christian way to be ill is always to give glory to God and […]
God does not cause the tragedy, but he is with us in the midst and aftermath. Isa. 43:1 Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, […]
It is the third anniversary of Mack’s death. He died in a helicopter as they were trying to save his life from the fast moving blood infection while getting him to another hospital a two hour drive away. I have never been able to thank the crew in person, but […]
I will be presenting in the Blogger and Online Publication session this year. It should be a fun and informative session. My presentation will be a bit more organic, or really, about the organic process of how my blog has developed over the last dozen years. The Life of a Blog […]
This is my most recent idea for the title of a work coming out of my recent writings and talks on suffering. (See the page A Biblical Theology of Suffering for those links.) The quote comes from Frederick Buechner and is oft cited. I have used it for years in […]