This is a follow up blog about Alexander Solzhenitsyn. He suffered greatly while being imprisoned.  He won the 1970 Nobel Prize in Literature for his powerful writing on communist oppression and spiritual emptiness.  His 1962 novel, “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” described life in a Stalinist labor camp.  By 1973 Solzhentisyn had…

June 8th marked the 40th anniversary of “A World Split Apart,” the commencement address delivered by Aleksandr Solzhentisyn at Harvard University.  Chuck Colson considered it “one of the most prophetic and eloquent” commencement addresses ever given.  As a young pastor (37), I remember how I admired Solzhentisyn for his courage and candor.   It was a reminder  of Ezk.…

I remember well the large “Promise Keepers” events during the mid 90’s.  I attended the first two at the old Metrodome in Minneapolis.  There were over 60,000 men in attendance.  It was like a hug pep rally for Jesus, with men shouting praises to God, making heartfelt commitments to be men of God.   The…

Recently, as part of Starbuck’s efforts to start “renewing Starbucks as a place where all people feel welcome,” the chain closed down 8,000 stores “for a conversation and learning session on racial bias” with 175,000 of is employees.  A  new “Third Place Policy” promotes becoming “Color Brave,” as  an  alternative to color-blind, wherein a person’s racial…

Ed Stetzer, the executive director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College has articulated a helpful concept for living in post-Christendom – “Convictional Minority.”  Christendom assumes that a Christian worldview is the accepted view of culture.  This is no longer true. Peter addressed his first letter to “Strangers in the world” (I Peter 1:1), calling them “aliens and strangers in the…

Recently I was asked to preach in my church on rather short notice.  It was Saturday morning and Sunday is coming real soon.  I  pondered on what I should preach.  I settled on the Transfiguration of our Lord, partly because of the notes I had from past preaching on the text.  I choose to focus on…

Back in 1996 Robert Bly wrote a book entitled “The Sibling Society” in which he portrayed our culture as  being obsessed by youth, suspicious of  authority, intent on wanting to destroy “vertical” culture, especially any sense of patriarchy. Their desire was to  replace it with a  “horizontal” culture expressed by pop music, movies, TV, student-style politics and in our day, the…

Here is a quote from my favorite feminist, Camila Paglia, “….male identity is very tentative and sensitive – but feminist rhetoric doesn’t allow for it.  This is why women are having so much trouble dealing with men in the feminist era.  They don’t understand men, and they demonize men.  They accord to men far more…

Did you know that GQ Magazine has named the Bible one of the most overrated books in history.  The Bible is ranked No. 12 on the magazine’s list of 21 books you don’t have to read before you die.  “Some are racist and some are sexist, but most are just really, really boring,” noted the…

During this year’s Golden Globes, Oprah Winfrey gave an acceptance speech stirring the audience regarding the #MeToo movement.  “What I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have.”  Later, she added, “For too long women have not been heard or believed if they dared to speak their…