Ghosts and ancestors

THOUGH I’VE LONG been a Bruce fan (first concert: The River tour, way back when), I’ve yet to watch the recording of his celebrated solo Springsteen…

Overcoming the dad deficit

IT’S NOT BREAKING news to anyone that many people have some sort of “dad deficit” in their lives, a father-shaped hole that can leave them walking…

Dealing with others’ doubt

THE NEW TESTAMENT has a pretty unyielding posture toward doubt—it’s not good—but it’s not an uncaring one. There’s some helpful pastoral advice for how we might…

Doubt: protection in the pack

IF DOUBT CAN keep us from all the “more” that God has for us—namely, that abundant life—what are some ways we can overcome the tug toward…

Fierce for our more

FOR A BOOK about faith, the Bible has a lot of doubters in it. Pretty much every person God used wrestled with uncertainty at some stage…

The Dr. Zhivago problem

GIVEN OUR increasing inability to stay awake to the end of any movie that runs more than an hour and a half, it was an ambitious…

Wrestling for a blessing

WHEN I WAS about 10 or so, I spent most of one family vacation playing Spider Man. Leaping  out of hiding places, I would jump on…

Lengthening a short memory

I’VE HAD MY share of “only-God” answers to prayer through the years, but I’m embarrassed to admit my all-too-typical reaction to them. It’s immediate thanksgiving, but…

A field of gold

ONE OF THE greatest challenges facing anyone with a God-given dream is keeping things in balance—not losing sight of what’s around because you are so intent…

My Winter Olympics meddle

BEFORE MOST OF us forget snow and ice sports again completely for the next four years, I need to take a moment to acknowledge the Winter…