We Christians love to sing about creation’s beauty, but sometimes nature can be strange. How to explain the platypus, which looks like it was made from spare parts, or the scary anglerfish, which “fishes” for its prey by dangling a […]
Commentary
Faithful in Doing
Recently in this column I introduced the theme we are using extensively throughout the Covenant: found faithful. I believe it is the core desire we all share. At our best, each of us simply wants to be found faithful walking […]
Making the Connection
A few months ago, some people clashed over statements the president of Chick-fil-A made about marriage. Regardless of the political fallout, the public briefly thought about the connection between what we eat and what we believe. I was ignorant of […]
Trash Through the Ages
“I see you got the good garbage bags,” said my husband. He meant the white tall kitchen garbage bags with the red drawstring—sturdy white plastic that I can easily grab, tote out to the garage, and fling into the big […]
Our Commitment to Our Kids
Nancy and I have been blessed with three awesome daughters, Amy, Alissa, and Lauren. Given their age spread, we faced the daunting prospect of having a teenage girl in the home for seventeen consecutive years. Lauren, the youngest, just turned […]
Extravagant Devotion
Be pondering this as you read this column. Is now the time to make an extravagant, costly display of devotion in gratitude for all God means to you? In my personal Bible reading I have been looking at a series […]
What We Know About Energy
One morning, I was the last one in the shower, only to find that the twelve-year-old had luxuriated so long that all the hot water was history. Grumbling and shivering, I wondered when I had last reminded her about taking […]
Our Connection to Trees
I’ve had trees on my mind lately, mostly because I’ve been shopping for one to replace a fallen tree in my front yard. I don’t often plant a new tree, so I spent a while searching through catalogs, flipping through […]
Righting Our Upside-down World
The superhero movie The Avengers, which unites comic-book icons Iron Man, the Hulk, Black Widow, Thor, Captain America, and Hawkeye to save the earth against nasty aliens from outer space, has racked up stellar reviews and huge audiences. I saw […]
A Gospel for All
In the gospels there are particular times when Jesus watches a person and then stops everything, stops all of the proceedings, and says to those around him: “Hey everyone—did you see what that person just did? Now that is what […]
Keeping Nature in Mind: Green Picnics
My idea of a picnic is lingering over a delicious gourmet meal under the spreading branches of a tree at my favorite park, in the company of adult friends who understand the art of conversation. However, the picnics I usually […]
The Alaska Story
This is the season for regional annual meetings. The Covenant, though one church, has eleven regions within the United States and Canada known as conferences. Each year delegates from churches within those areas gather to celebrate what God is doing […]