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Why Was God So Violent in the Old Testament?
Throughout my life as a pastor I’ve been asked some hard questions. One of the most common questions people ask when reading the Bible is, “Why does God seem so violent in the Old Testament?” We read stories of wars, judgment, and entire nations being destroyed. At first glance, it seems difficult to reconcile…
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Don’t Die Before You Die – Live While You Live
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the way people age, because, well, I’m aging. Just so you know, when you’re young you feel like old age is forever away. It’s not. Then when you realize you are “old” it’s honestly a shock. If I get asked if I qualify for the seniors discount…
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Joy to the World: Finding Lasting Joy in a Chaotic World
There are moments in life that stay with us forever. A wedding day. The birth of a child. Milestones that become etched into our memories because they are filled with joy. When I got married 45 years ago, I was a young woman, excited, nervous, and certain I was marrying the love of my…
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Radical Jesus
I remember being in a strip club on outreach when one of the dancers asked me, “Who is Jesus anyway?” Then she added, “Jesus was Catholic, right?” There was something unexpectedly sincere and endearing about the question. I told her, “Catholicism came after Jesus, so no, He wasn’t Catholic. But I can tell you…
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Don’t Be Weird
There’s a difference between being set apart and being strange. I remember my grandmother telling me that when she was a young girl, she used to iron her naturally curly hair so people wouldn’t think she was vain and had gotten a perm. She also told me that men in the church could only…