What is Lent? Is it an official Christian holiday? Was it instituted in the Bible? What — if anything — is required of believers during Lent?
Heaven and those who have gone before us
The prevailing belief of the world is that “You go around once and then you die.” Yet, the remarkable claim of the Christian faith is that those who have died are more alive today than they were before their deaths. “If I die and go to heaven, what is it going to be like?” “Someone close to me died, where do I turn for comfort?” “If I die, will I go to a better place?” Professor Ken Elzinga answers these questions.
Flying through impostor syndrome
Three “random” events this week converged into one life lesson. 1) I listened to my pastor’s last sermon. We met when I was a college freshman and he was an intern at our church. Now he’s retiring after 43 years as its pastor. I don’t think I was present for his first ever sermon, but […]
4 Keys to Success in College
Headed to college? Wondering how to survive the experience? Here is advice from an expert.
Breaking the Huddle Syndrome
In modern American culture growing older seems to mean becoming invisible; unfortunately this trend is also infecting the church. Relegating older women to the nostalgia-bin is a symptom of “The Huddle Syndrome.” Fortunately, the Huddle Syndrome is easy to break.
Dealing with Loss: Lessons from Haggai
Recently, my life has been marked by loss. Like the Beatles, how I long for yesterday! The last place I expected to find comfort was in the Old Testament Book of Haggai — yet I did.
Sin and academic perfection
All through my academic career I rubbed shoulders with people smarter than I. The standard was always higher than I could reach, no matter how I hard I tried. Holiness is like that.
Loving someone with cancer
In an 11 month period, my mother died of breast cancer and both my mother-in-law and her mother died of lung cancer. Here’s what I learned about how to love, help and support someone living with cancer and their caretaker.
An exceptionally good Christmas
Alone and cold in a German prison, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “I think we are going to have an exceptionally good Christmas.” As I sit in warmth and comfort, I wonder at his words.
Resentment: a biblical lesson
How do you handle it when life isn’t fair? It’s easy to grow frustrated with our own lot in life and resent those who seem to have it better. Consider the story of Miriam.
