Reading the Bible and the Newspaper and Feeling the Tension

Spring semester 1975 is etched in my mind because I got schooled by a girl who was my study partner. We took a college religion class called The Life of Christ. It required a lot of reading, most of which I liked. Fortunately, the textbook for the class was written by a brilliant scholar who…

Remembering that it happened once…

One cold Saturday morning when I was 8, my Grandpa Jennings tried to show me how to milk a cow by hand. The old cow didn’t like it, and neither did I. After trying hard to get the milk flowing, less than an ounce of milk had landed in the bottom of the 2-gallon galvanized…

Advent Shows that God is in Charge of All of History

Every Advent season I think of Sikolastiki from the Republic of Congo. Sikolastiki was a co-worker of my missionary friend Carolyn Butler who, along with her husband Ron, served 35 years in the Congo. In “Under African Skies – Reflections for Advent and Christmas,” Carolyn writes about Sikolastiki: “During the years I knew her, I…

The most dramatic reveal party in history

Joseph was engaged to Mary when she told Joseph she was pregnant. Her “found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit” explanation didn’t work for Joseph or surely his parents. I can only imagine how Mary might have broken the news to her parents. Equally, I can only imagine how Joseph broke the news to…