According to the book of Proverbs, fools are trash talking bullies itching for a fight. They reject wise counsel while playing the victim.
Not cool to be a fool.
Yet Paul wrote in Verse twenty-seven of Chapter one in First Corinthians that God uses what is foolish and weak to shake the wise and strong.
Perhaps through Holy Fools.
Holy Fools play a significant role in the Russian Orthodox Church tradition. St. Basil the Blessed, for example, lived in Moscow…..
Grace: Undeserved support
Undeserved: Unearned
Support: Empowering others to do things for themselves
During the past several weeks, the pastor of the church that I attend has been preaching about the ways God shows grace to us.
While I have been thinking about cymbals.
We drummers obsess about the size, thickness, and beauty of the cymbals we covet. We wonder whether to play them with sticks, feet, mallets, brushes, or to crash them together to get just the perfect sound…..
During my junior year of college, several friends began watching the soap opera “All My Children.” Being totally blind, it was hard to follow the convoluted plot, especially since people were yelling snarky comments at the TV.
But I found my version of soap opera, courtesy of Rev. Carl McIntire’s “Twentieth-Century Reformation Hour.”
This was my introduction to Christian radio, and whenever I got the chance, I listened to Rev. McIntire’s gravelly voice, wondering which bizarre things it would shout:
…..
In a dark, musty cave on top of an Alaskan snow-swept mountain, seven Curtain men knelt to pray.
“Brothers,” Sampson said in an urgent voice after prayers ended. “We have suffered here for far too long. It’s time to begin to reclaim our former glory.”
“Amen,” chorused the rest of the group.
The descent into ignominy was achingly familiar. The near-death shooting of that martyred Congressman Steve Scalise 50 years earlier was the start of the second United States Civil…..
Since at least 1980, Christian end of the world experts have claimed on mainstream Christian conservative outlets that each United States president was the antichrist, the demonic power with some connection with the number 666 who will unite then trash the world until Jesus Christ’s glorious return. Jimmy Carter, because he helped negotiate a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. Ronald Wilson Reagan, because each of his names contains six letters. George H. W. Bush, because of his one-world-order pronouncements……
Several years ago, a woman greeted me in a cheery, elderly voice as Jules, my former guide dog, and I approached an intersection.
“Hi,” I said, not interested in striking up a conversation. I was in a hurry; I needed to listen for the sound of approaching cars so I could determine when it was safe to cross the street; and, based on a lifetime of similar experiences, I anticipated having to answer intrusive questions about my blindness.
“I have…..