Here’s the paradox: Lent is a serious season, but it is part of a joyful process. Here’s the problem: The stereotypical approach to Lent does nothing for either side of the paradox. You know what I mean. People pick something to “give up for Lent” and they are done. Nothing very serious. Nothing very joyful. […]
The Joy of Lent — via Heidelberg Catechism, Q. 89
So why, you ask, do Christians keep an annual season — 40 days — devoted to self-examination and repentance? Isn’t that a bit of a downer? Not really. But then, I’ve always liked washing windows. I don’t wash them nearly often enough, but that’s another story. When I do, it is fantastic. I usually start when […]
Vocabulary Lesson: “Lent,” “Ash Wednesday”
Today is “Ash Wednesday,” the beginning of the most serious season in the Church’s year: the forty days, not counting Sundays, leading up to Easter. We call the season “Lent.” For non-native speakers of Christianity, here are a couple of vocabulary lessons: Lesson 1: “Lent” comes from a medieval English word meaning “Spring,” from source […]
Is God “Just”? Is God “Fair”?
One key objection people bring to Christian faith, especially to classical Western theology, is that the very idea of God punishing people rankles. Somewhere in our intuition it just feels unfair, I guess. We don’t really want anything to do with a God who seems unjust — but the system of justice seems to require […]
A Free Gift! Now That’s Something to Be Thankful For
Nothing sparks gratitude in my heart like a free gift. Well, maybe not just any free gift. Lots of things are given away because people don’t want them — take a look at your local Goodwill drop-off station. Then there are those gifts that seem free but you know they have a hidden price — […]
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