The Church today presents a fairly complex panorama. Many different organizations each claim in their own way to be the true Church. But there are various flavors of culture and to some degree flavors of doctrine. Consequently, it is important to help young people figure out how to navigate the Church landscape today. There is a chasm between what the Church is and what itâs supposed to look like. Itâs difficult for all of us. But it is especially problematic for young people who are … [Read more...] about Navigating Church Dichotomy Without Cynicism
Growth
2024 Relationship Challenges
Due to the natural proclivity of the human mind to focus inward on self, relationships in âthe worldâ are deteriorating. Nations are turning inward as are the communities that form a nation. We see the emergence of what is being called âIdentity Politicsâ and the âNew Tribalism.â This is a form of polarization which has as its underpinning an emphasis on self. This should not surprise us as we know the god of this world is a self-promoter. At the personal level, our present cancel culture is … [Read more...] about 2024 Relationship Challenges
Is the Web a Source of Wisdom?
We hear very little about wisdom today. Instead, we hear more and more about the importance of information â about the virtues of information and the benefits of increased information. âBig dataâ and âdata miningâ are the buzz words of the day. These are quite literally seen by humanity as their savior. But it is important to recognize that information, knowledge, and wisdom are not the same things. I want to lay out the building blocks first from a humanistic … [Read more...] about Is the Web a Source of Wisdom?
Digital Distraction
If there has ever been a group of people that are called upon to use their minds, it is the people of God who have chosen to live His way of life. When I say, âuse our mindsâ, I donât mean human reasoning or logic; there is to be an emphasis on teaching, thinking, and understanding. Many religious systems are devised by men, who very often downplay teaching in favor of rituals. To them, rituals and traditions are what is most important. But true faith requires that we use our … [Read more...] about Digital Distraction
God’s Thoughts on World Conflicts
The conflicts that we see in the world continue to increase. We probably know of the conflict in the area of Israel and Palestine along with the war in Ukraine, but there are many others that we donât know or hear about. These conflicts may not be impactful enough to warrant any airtime from the news media. The United Nations, however, in its latest press release are tracking 114 ongoing armed conflicts today of major consequence, specifically in the Middle East, but also in Northern Africa. … [Read more...] about God’s Thoughts on World Conflicts
Conquering Frustration
An author named Jackson Brown wrote, âYou can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles these four things: a rainy holiday, lost luggage, a busy store, and tangled Christmas lights. I would definitely add traffic to this list of annoyances. But you probably get that feeling, almost like nails across the chalkboard whenever this list of annoyances is mentioned. Have you ever been frustrated? Of course we all have. Our frustrations are usually caused by small annoyances that eat away at us. … [Read more...] about Conquering Frustration
The Search for Significance
Today, the entire world finds itself in a time of vast, uneasy change, where economic, social, political, and religious turmoil are the rule of the day not the exception. And now, we hear about the advent of AI. Our minds can only imagine how much thatâs going to accelerate or increase what is already uneasy change. Already, the constant bombardment produces a toxic environment of unresolved stress. Unresolved stress leads to disconnected lives. Disconnected lives lead to helplessness. … [Read more...] about The Search for Significance