2011

Still Growing Up

Marilee goes to the doctor's every four weeks and they chart her growth as the pounds rack up. She laughs out loud now. She holds on to me when I pick her up.

William's 2T pants are getting snug around the waist. He has begun to be able to pronounce "l." He now can count to 20. ...

More Thoughts on Hell

"Doing away with hell, then, is a natural way for pastors and theologians to make their God seem more humane. The problem is that this move also threatens to make human life less fully human."

So says Ross Douthat in an essay for the New York Times: "A Case for Hell."

Douthat ...

Resurrection Part Two: Why It Matters

In yesterday's post, I shared why I believe the resurrection happened. But I also want to explain why I believe the resurrection makes a difference–in the world and in my life.

Christians believe that the resurrection proves that Jesus was who he said he was–the Christ, the King, ...

Can Execution Be Merciful?

Paul Donnelly wrote an essay, Upon Penalty of Life, for the New York Times Magazine this past week. Donnelly's brother and his wife were killed by Christopher Di Meo. And Donnelly's essay argues that the most merciful thing for Di Meo would be to receive the death penalty. Donnelly ...

Resurrection Part One: Why I Believe It

Yesterday we celebrated a ridiculous claim: that a dead man came back to life. Not that he was resuscitated. But that he was made alive again, eternally. That he, Jesus, is still alive. The truth of Christianity hinges upon the reality of the resurrection. There are Christians ...

Good Friday: Heaven or Hell?

Fifty years ago, a TIME cover article asked the question, "Is God Dead?" This week, a cover article of the same magazine asks, "Is Hell Dead?" This recent article comes in response to Rob Bell's book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever ...

How Do I Explain Easter to My Kids?

I have a new post on her.meneutics. It begins:

I don't know how to explain Easter to my children — Penny, 5, and William, 2. I've tried two approaches so far. I've talked about it directly: "Some people killed Jesus and he died and God made him alive again."

When I said that, ...

Perfectly Human: This Is Community by Karen Jackson

As the parent of a child with special needs, I write of faith communities from a slightly different perspective than most. Faith communities can be large or small, Christian, Jewish, Muslim or any other, filled with people young or old, but they are, I think, in a special category.  ...

Lenten Reflections Part Two: Our Love-Hate Relationship with the Cross

Again,

It's a symbol of love, of forgiveness, of salvation.

It's a vision of violence, of blood, of death.

It's a trinket dangling from a rear-view mirror, an ornament to dress up an outfit.

It's a centerpiece in a house of worship.

It's a gift. It's an offense.

It's a reminder, in ...

Is the Resurrection for Real?

Along with other bloggers, I was recently asked to respond to this question in 100 words or less. Here's what I wrote:

My husband threw a handful of crackers across the room. He was angry.

My daughter threw her arms out wide and said, "Tada!" She was proud.

My son's tears rolled ...

My Upcoming Book: A Good and Perfect Gift

I've been working for years now on a memoir about the first few years of Penny's life, and I'm excited to announce that it will be available in just a few months. For more information, visit my page at Baker Books. In a few weeks, I will direct you to a page on my website with ...

Healthy and Happy Trumps Everything Else?

I've written before about the ethical concerns raised by in vitro fertilization, and I continue to wonder how we as individuals can make choices that keep in mind the good of the community and not only our individual gain. As I wrote in October, after Robert Edwards won the ...

Does it Show Respect to Proselytize?

The cover article of Christianity Today's current issue, "Proselytizing in a Multi-Faith World" offers a helpful portrait of what it means to respect people who don't see the world and religious issues in the same way without avoiding the topic altogether. He offers four points ...

What Will You Be When You Grow Up?

It's a question I remember from my childhood. And I remember my answers–everything from a banker to a teacher to a farmer to a writer. I wanted to help people. I wanted to make money. I wanted to do the things I liked doing. But it's a question I sometimes hesitate to even think ...

Perfectly Human: Celebrate by Gary Bender

To read more about the Perfectly Human series, click here. Today we hear from Margaret "Gary" Bender about her daughter Alex who has Down syndrome. Gary has also recently written a book, From Grief to Celebration, from which this essay is excerpted. It's a short (75 pages) series ...

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