Gary Neal Hansen

Theology. It's good for you.

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You are here: Home / Archives for theology

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall: Heidelberg Catechism and the Law of God

August 6, 2013 by Gary Neal Hansen 2 Comments

You see someone looking in the mirror. Looking. Looking. What is he thinking? Better still, what are you thinking? Too much attention to his reflection — easy to suppose he likes what he sees. We mock the self-absorption of mythical Narcissus, falling in love with his reflection in a pond. But we also fear what […]

Filed Under: Heidelberg Catechism, Theology Tagged With: Calvin, Catechism, Heidelberg, law, mirror, Misery, sin, theology

John Wesley’s OTHER Secret to Building Community

July 29, 2013 by Gary Neal Hansen 6 Comments

Once upon a time there was a kite.  It had a wonderful time when a certain little kid would take it to the park. It caught the wind and soared high. It loved to be close to the clouds — but it longed to fly higher. “This kid is holding me back. I could go […]

Filed Under: Community, Theology, Wesley Tagged With: community, Methodism, theology

Role Models in Forgiveness

June 7, 2013 by Gary Neal Hansen 1 Comment

“Unforgivable!” That’s the cry when we are really hurting.  I suspect sometimes it means “I can’t forgive that quite yet.” However, sometimes it sounds more like we are working with a confused definition of forgiveness. When I hear people talking about forgiveness it often sounds like they are thinking “Forgiveness means the wound in our […]

Filed Under: Heidelberg Catechism, Prayer, Theology Tagged With: definition of forgiveness, heidelberg catechism, Lord's Prayer, theology

Simon Says: “What Do You Need?”

April 15, 2013 by Gary Neal Hansen 7 Comments

Last week I was blogging about the guidelines for prayer offered by the Heidelberg Catechism and I whizzed right by one that some may find troubling. When we pray, says the Catechism, we are supposed to ask “for everything God has commanded us to ask for.” It sounds like we are playing the spiritual version […]

Filed Under: Heidelberg Catechism, Prayer Tagged With: Catechism, Heidelberg, Martin Luther, Prayer, theology

Putting The Pieces Together About Prayer

April 10, 2013 by Gary Neal Hansen 11 Comments

Some Christians can make prayer seem like bit of a puzzle.  Not that they portray prayer as confusing — far from it. They make it more like a jigsaw puzzle: once you get each piece in the right place (and they only fit one way) the picture emerges automatically. In the puzzle theory of prayer […]

Filed Under: Heidelberg Catechism, Prayer Tagged With: Bible, Catechism, Heidelberg, Prayer, promises of God, theology

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Theology. It’s good for you.

I'm a Church historian by trade. My writing, speaking, and teaching explores the Christian past to equip today's disciples. Join me here for regular posts on the best of theology, spirituality, community, and ministry. read more…

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