In this entertaining book for all ages, Squareland enjoys a simple, uniform, conflict-free life of “perfect squares”—until expectations are stunningly upended by change. Suddenly Squares must deal with foreign creatures: Triangles, Rectangles, Circles, Ellipses, Parallelograms, Trapezoids, “Gons,” and such weirdoes. Each shape has its own natural personality and proclivities, so complications, cliques, tensions, and conflict threaten…
Threatened by Amaziah, Amos tells the priest the harsh truth that not only has the sanctuary lost the Spirit of God; it will eventually be destroyed as a result of its choice to serve the king rather than God. In the language of Paul Tillich, the only Ultimate that delivers is the one that stands…
Regardless of what one thinks of Anabaptism, all true Christians must be for peace. This does not necessarily mean that we must all be pacifists. But even if one believes that violence may become necessary in emergencies, we are all to be peacemakers. The Gospel is a Gospel of peace. God is the God of…
God has published prayers from angry, exasperated, and lonely people, so that we can know that hope remains for us. Imagine the tragedy if he had published only perfect prayers from perfect people. Alas, such prayers would not be perfect! We need some rough edges, prayers throbbing with powerful emotions. Otherwise, we might be tempted…
Many readers might recognize that the title line of this book emerges from Proverbs 13:12: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” Although I do not believe that I speak for the experiences of all people, as I say above, I do believe that anyone who has…
The authors are not interested in divine knowledge for its own sake. Rather, it is to aid the Colossians in their life together as the church. The gospel is credible only as it is demonstrated by individual saints and the church collectively in the good works that bear witness to God’s kingdom. Christian convictions must…
When God sent his son into the world, we don’t see anywhere the instruction, “Don’t waste your time on the hopeless.” As far as the biblical witness is concerned, no one was written off, no one was off-limits, no one was beyond the reach of God’s love, no one was outside the circle of grace….
Advent is the season of faithful agnosticism and hopeful adventuring in which Jesus and his mission become known to us on the journey. Advent is the season of divine restlessness and impatiencewith the way things are in our lives and in the world. In Advent, we look toward the coming of the child who will…
The appeal to revelation in this case involves the following claims. (1) There is a place in human existence where death has not been final. (2) Such a place is not isolated, but is typical, or as we might say, germinal. It has consequences beyond the individual case. It represents and at the same time…
Time with the Lord, every day, is vital to me. Prayer, reading His words, worshiping Him in song or just quiet before Him. It is the living water and fresh bread that keeps me well and strong. That keeps ‘hope’ a strong and sure anchor. Jody Neufeld, Daily Devotions of Ordinary People – Extraordinary God,…
