At first glance, it appears rather cruel. God had ordered some poor guy to be stoned to death simply for gathering a few sticks for firewood (Numbers 15:32-36). Could this really be the directive of a loving God? Does the God of the Old Testament have a mean streak? Or is something deeper at stake? […]
I lied the other day. Now don’t get me wrong. I am not in the habit of lying, and on a scale of 1 to 10 in importance, this particular fib probably came in at around a 1.5. But it was a lie nonetheless. I had found myself in an awkward situation and before I […]
I am certain that I caught the deadly and destructive NV virus at a very young age–my first clear memories of its influence dating back to the first grade. My aunt had recently given birth to a baby girl and my family was traveling with relatives to attend the christening. I was especially excited because […]
You’ll find it there sitting in a corner of Hoss’s parking lot on most days in August. I speak of an old maroon pickup truck with wooden side boards and a green shaded canopy over the bed—a bed piled high with fresh, recently picked sweet corn. Occasionally, “Silver Queen” is the offering of the day, […]
Photo by mensatic – morgueFile I remember a time in my childhood days when I tried to picture what God looked like. The best image I could muster was that of a very old man in with a long, flowing robe and a full white beard regally sitting on a golden throne. My image was […]
Moses was either amazing or crazy; perhaps a little of both! The often lonely road he walked, the obstinate people he loved, his passion for righteousness—they all point toward one of the truly great figures of history. But there was something else about Moses, something upon which his entire character hinged: Moses walked with God. […]
When I use the term “mechanism for growth”, it may bring to mind images of gears and cogs turning in some massive machine. Or perhaps one thinks of a lab experiment where ingredients A, B & C produce D. These images come from a world where knowledge is an inanimate it more than anything else. […]
My love affair began in Mr. Sweeney’s fifth grade class. No, a cute little female didn’t catch my eye. It was science that captivated my heart. Through our class chemistry set and a number of hands on experiments, my passion to understand how things work grew and grew. Through junior and senior high school I […]
A teenager sneaks out of the house in the middle of the night. A wife continually nags her husband. A man explodes in anger because dinner is cold. A politician agrees to cover an indiscretion in exchange for a vote. A science professor blackballs a promising young PhD candidate for believing in God. A young […]
I suppose it began about 10 years ago. Several evangelical campus ministries at Indiana University of PA (IUP) loosely organized into what we call The River – many streams fed by one Spirit, flowing together with one heart and one mission. I believe in this concept so much that we named our ministry center the […]
