Category: My Simple Faith

Seeking to go deeper in my faith without complexity.

Talking Prayers with My Dog

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We all go through rough times in our lives, times when it is hard to imagine how to handle a problem, or work through grief, or make an extremely difficult and painful decision. As a much younger man my strategy, often, was to deny or ignore, but, most of the time, I would simply isolate myself by taking a walk in the woods or around the lake that was several miles from my home.

I was accompanied on those walks by my dog, Mandy. Just a mixed breed, part Lab, part mongrel and 100% loyal.  She was a wonderful companion and a very good listener. She would often run ahead, maybe chase a rabbit, and return and walk along with me. During those times, I would tell Mandy why we were on this walk and I would explain my problem or why I was hurting. Often these conversations with my dog came out very much like prayers. Continue reading

Pray Without Ceasing?

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Pray without ceasing?  Hmm.

A number of years ago, I ran a little experiment.  I was teaching a course in Adolescent Psychology at a midwest college, and because of circumstances in my life and in the classroom, I decided to explore the power of prayer through a very simple exercise.  Over a period of 14 class meetings, I alternated each class period.  On the first day I prayed about the lesson, about being at peace, and asking God to be present and give that peace to the students.  On the second day, I did not pray about the lesson, the students or myself.  On the third day, I prayed, and on the fourth I did not.  I continued this through all 14 class meetings. Continue reading

One Flock?

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For more than 45 years, since I committed my life to Christ, I have struggled with the question of One God.  Not as it applies to Christianity, on that I am clear.  But One God for Christians and Jews, and Muslims?  Same God?  Yes?  No?  If you believe in one God, and one God for all, then Yes, the same God.  But…

I am not a theologian, nor have I studied at length the scriptures.  I have been involved for many years in various Bible studies, as well as studies of commentaries and sermons of some of the greats of Christianity, such as Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon and others.  For the most part, the group discussions and sharing have been very helpful, interesting and stimulating.  But, nevertheless the struggle on this one issue continues. Continue reading

12:01 a.m. 1/1/15

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Times Square.  Packed with crazy, happy people, just waiting for that ball to drop — the moment 2014 turns into 2015.  A transition from one year that held both successes and failures, into a new year filled with hopes, promises and expectations.

Over your life span, where were you at that point in time when you left one year behind in favor of a new one?  Did that new one turn out as you had hoped, as you expected?  No?  Yes? Continue reading

Faith Thoughts: 103

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Faith and the “real” world.  How does that work?

A few years ago, two of the Men’s Bible Study groups that I am apart of were looking at Islam.  In one I was confronted with a sense of fear, a fear that for all intent and purpose has prevented a clear and unfettered discussion of Islam.  I failed to keep the conversation focused for there seemed to be such a closed mind, which surprised me. All my brothers seem to be able to concentrate on is violence and what they see as “Allah, the avenger”, out to kill all infidels (Christians, Jews, etc.).  A very frustrating discussion. Continue reading

Faith Thoughts: 102

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What about the Resurrection?

Christianity without the Resurrection?  I don’t believe so.  Simply put, in my mind, without the Resurrection there is no Christianity!  My wife and I came to believe that, during those early years which we refer to as the real beginning of our Christian walk.  If we could not believe in the Resurrection, then we could not be Christians.  That remains central to our faith.

As I tried to recall the years of my youth, the hundreds of church services I attended (usually under duress), the hundreds of dad’s sermons heard, slept through, and also read, I did not grasp the importance of the Resurrection, which I feel is so key now.  I do see Dad’s emphasis on the ministry of Christ, the power that belief brings to good works, the sense of being a “good” person, and the lessons that Christ’s life teaches us.  But the Resurrection?  Not so much. Continue reading

Faith Thoughts: 101

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(Post 1 of 3)

Some years ago I set out to write a “brief” statement of my faith that I could share with my children.  At that time they were adults in their 30’s and who, probably, had a fairly well-formed idea of “religion”, faith and all that “stuff”.  That “brief” statement ended up not being brief at all.  So what follows here, and two other blogs, are faith points that are important for me and are offered here for your consideration.

Over the years I have resolved to have conversations with my children about faith and what I believe, but the time has never seemed right.  Over those years I flirted with that topic, have implied some, have lived out some, but never really gotten into it.  Maybe I was a little fearful, wanting to “say it right” but concerned that it might come out incomplete, or incoherent, or sounding like I’m proselytizing!  But the reality of it is that I probably communicated more than I know. Continue reading

Taking Inventory

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I never got around to making a Bucket List.  I guess I was just too busy living to take the time.  What I do have are those things, events, accomplishments, etc. that I actually did that might have appeared on my Bucket List, had I taken the time earlier to do that.  What I am left with is a kind of Blessings List, markers that we were there, we left our footprints, and we are left with great memories. Continue reading

Comfort Zone (Teller)

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Several years ago, on a ferry from Dover to Calais, heading for Antwerp, Belgium, I had no idea that I was in the process of having a heart attack!  That night, this wonderful trip we had planned, visiting the Martin Luther sites in Germany, on to England for the Phantom of the Opera at the Palace Theater and, then, on to the Lake District, came to a crashing halt. Continue reading

Holy Week – Fresh and New

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Here we are in the midst of Holy Week, that important time for the Christian Church between Passion or Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday.  A solemn time, commemorating the events of Christ’s journey to the Cross and the Easter Sunday celebration of the Resurrection.

We listen to readings from Matthew or Luke recounting the arrival of Christ in Jerusalem, and the growing fear on the part of the Pharisees leading to an assassination plot.  Symbolically, we join fellow Christians and Jews in the Passover or the Last Supper, the ceremony of the Seder on Maundy Thursday. Continue reading

Hot Wheels, Love and Giving

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In Rachel Remen’s book “My Grandfather’s Blessings” she tells of playing Hot Wheels with her 6-year-old nephew, Kenny.  Kenny had two of the little cars and they had a great time with imaginary traffic events, and crashes, and drives along the cliff edge, the window sill.   An oil company’s promotion of giving away Hot Wheels for gas purchases allowed Rachel and her friends to present Kenny with a box of every model of the cars. Continue reading