Looking back on this essay from July of 2013, about the hysteria surrounding the trial of George Zimmerman regarding the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, I find that considering all that with all that has happened since, with Ferguson MO and NYC, this essay remains very applicable. So I decided to edit it a little andContinue reading “Silence Is Not An Option: Some Thoughts on Justice & Inequality”
Tag Archives: Religion and Spirituality
What The Gungor Controversy Tells Us About The American Church
In case you are one of the few people who are even less aware of what is happening inside the glass walls of the American Church than I am, there is a major controversy currently over comments made by the worship band and Dove award winner Gungor (Here is an excellent article from the ChristianContinue reading “What The Gungor Controversy Tells Us About The American Church”
Mechanics & Meaning: The Nye-Ham Debate
Recently there was a highly publicized and mostly disappointing debate between the Bill Nye “The Science Guy” and Ken Ham, Founder of the Christian organization Answers In Genesis. Now in the interest of full disclosure, I need to tell you that I love Bill Nye and appreciate all that he did for Science Education backContinue reading “Mechanics & Meaning: The Nye-Ham Debate”
Making Sense Of The Day Of Pentecost
Acts 2 details the events of the first Pentecost following the resurrection and ascension of Messiah. Too often this text is interpreted through the broken hermeneutic of popular Christian theological systems which, due to their inherently anti-Semitic prepositions, often emphasize the wrong aspects of the text. In doing so, they render a narrative of itContinue reading “Making Sense Of The Day Of Pentecost”
Making Sense Of The Bible – An Introduction
Knowing the right Bible answers is not the same thing as knowing the God of the Bible. Unfortunately this distinction is far too often overlooked and thus the text is approached rather haphazardly, as though it is of little consequence how one understands it so long as their answers fit the system they have alignedContinue reading “Making Sense Of The Bible – An Introduction”
Spiritual Leadership: Acting as Prophet, Priest & King
Being a Pastor is one of the most rewarding things I have ever had the privilege to do. It is second only to the privilege of being the Head of my Household, having the opportunity to pour my Life into my wife and children. But though it is fun, it is far from easy; forContinue reading “Spiritual Leadership: Acting as Prophet, Priest & King”
Confronting Contradictions in the Bible: Miracles
How one approaches the Judeo-Christian text matters. One can not be a follower of the Way of the Cross without being a student of the Scripture for we are called first and foremost to be and to make Disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). In today’s American society however there are many who claim to believe in theContinue reading “Confronting Contradictions in the Bible: Miracles”
Skepticism
Critical Thinking & Limits Of Certainty Thinking is an activity of the mind which is common to all people, although it seems to be done by some almost thoughtlessly. Critical thinking however is both a disposition to judge the information one is thinking about, as well as a skill set that allows one to makeContinue reading “Skepticism”
Spirituality
What is Spirituality? While the word is used by many different people in many different ways, broadly defined spirituality is a focus on and pursuit of the transcendent. For some it is the eternal verses the present, the majestic verses the mundane, the immaterial verses the material. For Plato it was the ideal which supersededContinue reading “Spirituality”
The Face Of God
What is God like? Description requires observation, and observation of something that can not be seen is impossible. In and of ourselves we are incapable of apprehending any semblance of a correct conceptualization of God. Thus we are left to ourselves to develop our own conceptualizations of what God is like. The inherent problem inContinue reading “The Face Of God”
Dr. Joshua C. Strunk 