I Was A Fool
Ten years ago, my friend Gary Barkalow asked me if I had any New Year’s resolutions. While I wanted to share sixty years of life-changing resolves …
Intimate Theology
Comforting Our Sadness
I recently read an article that blames Facebook for the modern plague of discontent. After all, Facebook ceaselessly shows us friends sailing the …
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 …
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 Our architecture was outdated and sales revenue had plummeted.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 …