Asking God for More Coincidences
My parents moved from Detroit to Philadelphia in September 1975. I started university the same month, and I supported myself (tuition, room, and …
Intimate Theology
Hearing God: Conversation Is the Point
When I was growing up, my dad taught me to sail our small Sunfish sailboat. We took month-long summer vacations. We always camped on lakes, so we …
The Impact of Intimate Theology
A few years ago, I met with a pastor of a church near a large campus. As the university grew in prestige, it attracted thousands of international …
The Fearful Tests of God
In 1997, after years of wanting but not doing, I began flying lessons. The lessons taught me how to take off and land, how to navigate using …
Bullied By A Boss
Thirty years ago, I worked for a struggling software company. Our architecture was outdated and sales revenue had plummeted. Investments in new …
Fearing Go(o)d
During my sophomore year at the University of Michigan, I heard of a summer job repairing the U of M stadium, the Big House. I showed up the Monday …
Comedian Forecasters
I grew up in the city of Detroit in the 1960’s. We didn’t use phones back then like we do today. If I wanted to see my friend Mark, I didn’t call …
Deeper Worship
Several years ago, I joined a local business organization. Their Statement of Purpose was to help businesspeople do their job better with a kind of …
When God Seems Absent
Years ago, Denise Walters was running up her high school stairway. Near the landing, her knees suddenly felt weak and she collapsed. Within hours her …
Heaven or Hell?
My dad died April 1st, 1996, almost twenty-five years ago. His theology prohibited choosing the day of death, but if he could have chosen, it would …
Feeling God’s Love
I’ve been talking with a young man whose spiritual life is an emotional yo-yo. One day he feels God’s love and the next day he feels nobody’s love. In …
Friendship
Mark Maxam was my best friend from ages eight to eighteen. Except for three long months. Inseparable companions, we walked to school together, learned …