I've been reading the Gospel of Matthew and am amazed at how often Jesus says, "Yes." He heals with a word, instantly, immediately. He "drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick." When we deal with issues, struggles, sins, sickness, temptations I don't understand why Jesus doesn't "say a word" and the problem is gone. There are prayers my wife and I have prayed for over a decade and only once can I remember something happening that seemed a direct answer and that was about 3 weeks after the fact. And, over time, the problem got...

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Baptism. What's the deal? I have more students without Christian backgrounds asking me about baptism. In some ways this is a great thing. They don't have some of the Christian baggage and they have lots of questions. And, they instinctively know that if they are going to become a Christian then something must signify it, set it apart, a bar-mitzvah of sorts. With this in mind I'm going to try and hit what I think the bible is getting at with baptism.It's a coming out of the closet statement. It's a person's declaration that "I'm throwing in my lot with...

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I remember during studying for my ordination (the body of Christ confirming God's call on me through character and bible testing - a good thing) one of my peers who was on the examination committee asked what the sin of Sodom was. I thought to myself, "Is this a trick question?" I responded, "Homosexuality?" "No, it was actually being greedy, overfed and not concerned for the poor," he stated. I went home that night and googled (did we call it that 10 years ago?) the words: Sodom, greed, poor, and guess what? He was right! Ezekiel the prophet had much...

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Soriority recruitment, formerly known as rush is under way. I did it - well, at least the other version. Over the past couple days I've witnessed spiffed up after spiffed up females between 18-20 parade around campus, cheering, singing, marching. Perfumes I never knew existed exist. It's like walking through that section in the Department Store as a kid holding your nose. Why do we do it? I did it. Why? In my case I did it because I wanted friends. In my case I did it because I was scared. I was scared and lonely and didn't think I'd...

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I saw a book the other day called Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion. I haven't read it yet but I will. It seems to me after 10 years of college ministry there is a tenor of disdain for organized religion. What does Jesus think of Organized Religion? Did He organize a religion? Did he go to church? Does he like the chruch? Does Jesus "love Jesus and hate the church"? Does he agree with the sentiment that I can love God but stay in bed on Sunday mornings? What does he think about...

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