Tag: faith Page 1 of 5

The Way Out

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On February 21, 2024

In writing

FAITH
a painterly portrait of a groundhog alone in a field
This winsome groundhog portrait was generated by Bing’s AI image generator.

Well, it’s the season of Lent. Again.

Lots of folks look at Lent as a period of time during which they’re obligated to abstain from something meaningful as a means of proving themselves as Christians. And about this time of the year, I usually try to give something up–coffee, alcohol, fried food, Facebook, etc.

Sure, my doctor probably thinks it’s a decent idea for me to eat less fried chicken, even if only for a period of time before Easter. But it probably doesn’t bring me closer to God.

I’ve long appreciated liturgy. The downside of liturgical seasons is that, over time, they might start to feel rote. Worn out. Tired. Like you’ve been here before. Celebrate the birth of Christ, put away the Christmas tree, and soon it’s time to roll out the purple again and rub ashes on our foreheads.

Well, it’s the season of Lent. Again*.

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What’s up, Doc?

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On January 31, 2024

In writing

FAITH

In which the Apostle Paul takes a baseball bat to the knees of the wise…

This week, I defended my dissertation before a committee of four professors and administrators. In the course of a short hour and a half, I presented them with the problem my research addressed, the research questions I established, a review of the literature I researched about the problem, the methods I used to conduct my own research, my findings, and a summation of what those findings mean as answers to the questions I’d asked. It was the culmination of nearly four years of studying, taking courses, and working independently.

The process goes like this: we logged on (my committee met by zoom, because we were all geographically scattered), the committee quickly gathered independent of me to discuss my dissertation, I presented, and then the committee asked questions of my research. (This is the part where I “defended” my work.) Following that, the committee broke away again to discuss whether or not they felt my work met their expectations–and when they returned, they each had changed their zoom backgrounds to congratulate me. I had earned my doctorate.

It was quite a moment.

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Wednesdays: “I am not listening.”

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On January 3, 2024

In writing

FAITH
via WikiCommons

Sometimes God listens, and sometimes he doesn’t.

Throughout Advent this past year, I’ve been reading through the Book of Isaiah. As a refresher, Isaiah was a prophet writing about 800 years before the birth of Christ. The book, which many scholars attribute to multiple authors, follows along with the fall of Israel and its occupation. Frequently, Isaiah proclaims a prophecy of a new king of Israel to come, a foreshadowing of the birth of Christ*.

Back in December we were pondering through a text in Isaiah in Bible study, and it struck me that 800 years is a long, long time. Isaiah was predicting something he would never live to see–not just him, but not even his great-great-great-great-grandchildren. That’s a lot of darkness to peer into.

Anyway, last night I flipped back to the very beginning of Isaiah. It’s poetry, but it isn’t pretty.

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