Almost two years ago, I married a citizen of the Russian Federation; a daughter of Lenin’s dream for the Russian people—the Soviet Union. Upon learning that I would be living in Russia for an extended period, my knee-jerk reaction was to find an English speaking, Reformed congregation that resembled mine in the states. To be sure, several Protestant churches have reestablished a presence in Russia (many are Lutheran, after the traditions of their Scandinavian neighbors, […]
Science says we can’t change our sexual orientation. Most people, from experience, would agree. Why then do we have Christians who call themselves ex-gay? Why do people who once considered themselves homosexual renounce their gay lifestyle, get married, have children, and go on worshiping God? Let’s look at two common answers: 1. Ex-gays are a myth, and those who identify as such are just “playing straight.” Religion guilts them into marrying someone they’re not attracted […]
A few weeks ago I posted a link to an article that I co-wrote with Dr. Jonathan M. Lunde for the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. That article was on the use of Isaiah in Ephesians 5.14. This new article — “Paul’s Creative and Contextual Use of Psalm 68 in Ephesians 4:8,” Westminster Theological Journal 74.1 (Spring 2012): 99-117 — functions as a sister article to the earlier one. Together these articles address the use of the OT in Ephesians. This […]
One of the most difficult tasks of the serious Bible student is to read the Bible as the word of God and not as an assignment. Like most people, I changed major three times during my first year of college. First, I was an engineering major. This was, without doubt, the result of knowing very little about myself – something I am still guilty of. It was during the first few sessions of my Introduction […]
Next week begins a new opportunity for me. After several months of networking new connections, broadcasting my interest, data mining essential research, the Lord has truly provided an opportunity for advancement in my work that is beyond what I could have even crafted for myself. Looking forward to this opportunity, I can’t help but think about envisioning what success will look like: shattering established goals, doubling high value client relationships, propelling my team forward in […]
To the world, homosexuality is more than an orientation; it’s an identity. Being gay is like being black or vegan or republican. It’s part of your persona. Something to accept, embrace and celebrate. Coming out means becoming part of a community—complete with flags, parades and flashy bumper stickers. To the person who experiences same-sex attraction, the world says you’re gay. Now assume your identity. Be who you are. Jesus says there’s another way. See, Christianity […]
This story begins at the bottom of a trashcan–which, I admit, is not a very promising start. But it’s the story of how I come to be writing this post at all. It was a Sunday night in July 2011, 2 weeks after the miscarriage. My sisters had been visiting us for the past eleven days–providing a welcome source of comfort and distraction from the pain of our loss. But their trip was coming to […]
A month ago I went to the Museum of Tolerance. If you haven’t been, you should go. It’s fascinating but sobering. As great as I thought it was, I found it strange that the only mention of abortion in the entire museum is concerning George Tiller. For those of you who don’t remember, George Tiller directed a clinic in Wichita that performed abortions past the 21st week of pregnancy. In 2009, he was murdered while […]
Whatever family friendly sit-com you grow up watching- whether the I Love Lucy, Full House, or Home Improvement, the source of the laughs and the heart-tugs are the same- family can be rough sometimes. We can all see the elements of dysfunction, and fortunately, all share a laugh of emphathy when we see it acted out before us. Family- can’t live with ’em, can’t live without them. Jesus had some rough run ins with his family. In […]
Today is my birthday. I’ve always considered it my own personal New Year. Billions of people celebrate new beginnings on January 1st, but on June 20th that number drops to mere millions. (Two worth noting: fellow blogger Caleb Johnson and my dad.) So, in honor of another year, here are some of my birthday resolutions: 1. Stay amazed The world has enough beauty to blow my mind every day, if only I’d consider how fascinating […]
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