This blog is Pastor Jay's weekly musings about God's Word, God's world, and God's call to our culture. We hope they encourage, challenge, and inform you. Sign up to recieve them in your email.
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, Juliet tells us in the famous Shakespearian play. But roses aren't made in the image of God. Names don't really matter when it comes to plants, and that is why there are some really fun ones. Begonia Darthvadariana was the name given to a dark-leaved begonia. But names given to eternal beings who stand as the pinnacle of God's...
Keep ReadingMany people are beginning to recognize division and intolerance are everywhere, and they are only getting stronger and more hostile. College campuses have to deal with violent rioting over speakers with certain viewpoints while at the same time creating "safe spaces" for students threatened by opposing ideas. Is this the legacy of progressivism: fight or flight? Apparent...
Keep Reading"Discrimination" has become one of the great taboos of our culture. Dropping this word upon someone is the ultimate insult that is expected to make a person fall over themselves in apologies. Historically, discrimination was the go-to word for prejudices perpetuated against ethnic minorities. More recently, the LGBT community has had almost total success in getting th...
Keep ReadingIt was a record breaking night for the NFL's biggest game. All told there were 27 different records broken. In the middle of it all was Tom Brady. His presence and performance alone were 10 of those 27 records. Clearly Tom Brady has not only reached but cemented his place in football history and joined the league of the world's greatest athletes of all time. But that ...
Keep ReadingBy: Hannah Ploegstra ------19 December 2016------- For many Christians, Christmas can be a rather conflicted season. Ever notice how we gripe our way through the season, over-spending on toys and junk, over-eating, and letting ourselves get "way too busy" while with the very same breath bemoaning the loss of the "reason for the season" and the way the world has taken ove...
Keep ReadingBy: Hannah Ploegstra ------19 December 2016------- For many Christians, Christmas can be a rather conflicted season. Ever notice how we gripe our way through the season, over-spending on toys and junk, over-eating, and letting ourselves get "way too busy" while with the very same breath bemoaning the loss of the "reason for the season" and the way the world has taken ove...
Keep ReadingDuring the Vice Presidential debate the nation got to hear a particular abortion position articulated. Candidate Tim Kaine stated that he was privately against abortion, but supported the right to have abortions. Is this a morally legitimate position? Is this an aspect of what American Christianity can look like? Can we support policies that are sin against God? There i...
Keep ReadingAs the election draws near to voting day we keep learning more and more about the candidates. The more we know, the more we wish we didn't know. Sadly, we are not surprised by any of it. Every new revelation fits into what we already knew, just like slime fits onto whatever it covers. The real question that confronts the evangelical voter is this, "Does character really...
Keep ReadingPolitics is not a fantasy world. You have not entered the realm of werewolves and vampires, where a silver bullet or a clove of garlic is going to vanquish the problem. We still live in this ole' cursed world, where issues still spring up from the heart, and sin has never been something you can manage. The reality John Owen spoke of still has a gorilla-grip hold on us: "...
Keep ReadingWe have all been asked the question. If you could choose just one superpower, what would it be? Today I heard an expert weigh in on the issue. During an interview on Up To Date, hosted by Kansas City Star's Steve Kraske, two long time science fiction writers, George R.R. Martin and Melinda M. Snodgrass, were asked this very question. I was very interested. Here were two ...
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