Soldiers who are part of combat for prolonged periods of time often develop battle fatigue, also called PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), or shell shock. Characteristics of this mental state include psychological numbness, hyper-awareness, rage, and reliving situations of extreme… Continue reading

Former Congressman Foley’s attorney announced that the man had gone to a rehabilitation center after his Internet communications with teenage boys about explicit sexual matters became public and forced his resignation from the House; and, his lawyer also told the… Continue reading

There is an oft-told story about a Life Saving Organization, which was started along the shore of the sea to rescue sailors in peril. When the first group of rescuers gathered, they were intense about their mission, serving in terrible… Continue reading

John Newton penned the now familiar line – “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!” Newton knew the depths of wretchedness. In his youth, he had gone to sea and over time became a captain,… Continue reading

At a meeting I attended this week, we spent the first hour in politeness. It was like a carefully choreographed dance of formal introductions, following the agenda, shielding ourselves. Then, as we became better acquainted, the room thawed. People expressed… Continue reading

Reading Numbers for our study group has made me wonder a few times, ‘what’s that all about?’ One of the more strange (at least to my modern mind) passages has to do with suspicion of marital unfaithfulness. In the 5th… Continue reading

A Christian man once said to me, “Pastor, I dread the Summer time. Women show so much more skin and lust overtakes me!” I did appreciate his honesty, but also realized he had no idea that he could actually begin… Continue reading

I stood on the edge of the little knot of younger men, not really in the conversation, just listening to them talk. They boasted about their golf scores, comparing skills and experiences on this course or that one. They talked… Continue reading

Yesterday’s headline blared – “Priest accused of stealing $600K over 4 years.” Today’s says, “Priest says ill-gotten money went to school.” Father Bob, to all accounts, is a great guy, with a big heart, who wanted to have a parochial… Continue reading

A Better Way Our Bible study group is doing a year-long survey of the Bible. The goal is to step back to see the Bible as a unified revelation of God, to understand the themes of entire books, rather than… Continue reading