This is the title the Message gives  verses 10-31 of Proverbs 31  in praise of a good wife.  It begins with, “A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds” (v 10)  and it ends with “The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God” (v 31). …

Men continue to be told that they are “toxic” by nature.  With hashtag movements like #MeToo and ‘the future is female” making their continual claims of toxicity, masculinity has taken quite a beating. The dominant narrative is that men are aggressors, women are victims, and patriarchy is to blame.  The cry in the culture is to…

I have been reading James Bryan Smith’s book, “Hidden in Christ.”  He calls attention  to II Peter 3:18, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”  Smith says the following  about grace.  “I used to think that only sinners needed grace, but now I see that sinners need very little grace, because they…

“The Second Mountain” is the title of New York Times columnist David Brook’s new book.  In it he describes his path between doubt and faith. The book speaks to deep human longings and the issues of loneliness, alienation, social isolation and hyper-individualism.  The author shares his  journey toward religious faith. Brooks describes himself as “a wandering Jew and…

Recently as I was reading Psalm 12, I wrote in the margin, “Protection against propaganda.” Here  expressed in a prayer, we can find the sentiments  of believers as they encounter the worldview of the dominant media in our day; what we come to call “fake news.”   The ESV Study Bible notes, “This is a community lament, suited to occasions when the people of…

Recently, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, with permission from Pope Francis, broke his silence to address the sexual scandal and the general atmosphere of disintegration in the Catholic church.  The Revolution of ’68 was central in his analysis.  R.R. Reno wrote the following observation: “The Revolution of ’68 shattered the prohibitions, inhibitions, and stable norms that are necessary to restrain…

I was intrigued with a recent article entitled, “Rise of the Warrior Monk,” by Christian Chensvold in National Review.  I think of myself as a “closet” monk here in the north woods.  My spiritual instincts would classify me as a spiritual warrior,  who is a truth-teller (prophet).   The truth teller sees things more black and white, while speaking the truth. But…

Have you ever attended  a foot washing service on Maundy Thursday during Holy Week?  Or have you had your feet washed by others on a special occasion. I have experienced both.  The most memorable occurred when I was about to leave one of the churches I served as pastor.  I had an emotional farewell with the worship team. …

Mark Regnerus is sociologist with a strong Christian worldview.  He has had to pay a price, among his peers for some of his opinions.  Recently he said, “We find ourselves in a liminal spot, one between long-taken-for-granted traditional relationships anchored in marriage and the future relationship system characterized more consistenly by ‘confluent love.’  There will not be two dominant systems.”  Which one will…

I came across the concept of “Self-achieved Identity” in a quote by James Houston.  “What we face in the world today is a self-achieved identity.  As Christians, we believe in a given identity, not an achieved one.  The Christian is found in Christ.  The self-achieving identity is very fragile because we have to sustain it.  Nobody…