Above: The Road to Emmaus, 1877, Robert Zund, Swiss painter, (1826-1909) ———- Luke 24 tells the story of Jesus joining two men walking on the road to Emmaus, a little town about seven miles from Jerusalem. It was the afternoon of the day Jesus rose from the dead. These men had known Jesus, […]
3071) We Had Hoped… Read More »
Above: Tony Campolo, Baptist minister, college professor, author, speaker (1935-2024) **************************************** By Tony Campolo (see below) I’m an Italian, but I belong to an African-American Church in Philadelphia. People sometimes ask me how a white guy like me ended up going there. I tell them it is because at that church they are
3024) Good Night, Clarence Read More »
Every once in a while, Easter falls on April Fool’s Day (most recently in 2018; next time will be 2029). “That is perfect,” some will say, implying that only a ‘fool’ would believe someone could rise from the dead. Lee Strobel (1952- ) would have been of that opinion when he was a
3012) Is Easter for Fools? Read More »
(…continued) In 1925 Eugene O’Neill wrote a play based on John 11 called Lazarus Laughed. The play starts where the Bible story leaves off. As the curtain goes up, Lazarus is seen stumbling out of the dark tomb, blinking as his eyes adjust to the light. As his friends and neighbors rush over
2997) Lazarus Laughed (2/2) Read More »
JOHN 11:17-44 — On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
2996) Lazarus Laughed (1/2) Read More »
(…continued) I like to read stories of people who kept an open mind, changed their mind, and were converted; people who for years did not believe in the Christian message, but then, for whatever reason, did come to faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, risen from the dead. The difference in their
2919) Keeping an Open Mind (b) Read More »
I once knew an old Swede named Karl. Karl was a good man, friendly, active in the church, and always willing to help out in the community. But Karl, like everyone else, had his faults. Everyone who knew Karl knew that he was of 100% Swedish descent and way too proud of it.
2918) Keeping an Open Mind (a) Read More »
(…continued) Tim Keller was a little younger than Arnold, and when he started college, he was, like Schwarzenegger would say, not much of an expert on “the soul and all that spiritual stuff.” But Tim Keller did realize the importance of knowing whatever there was to know about ‘all that spiritual stuff,’ because even as a
2867) No Downside to Leaving (2/2) Read More »
Above: From the 1988 movie. *********** Mark 12:18-27: 18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 19 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his
2866) No Downside to Leaving (1/2) Read More »
In the traditional liturgy there are certain little dialogs between the pastor and the congregation that, over time, become automatic. For example, if the pastor says “The Lord be with you,” the congregation will respond with, “And also with you,” even if they don’t have their bulletin or hymnal ahead of them. In
2855) He Is Risen Indeed! Read More »
