If Jesus Did Not Rise . . .

The Gospel of John tells of Mary Magdalene who, upon discovering the empty tomb, is panicked by the idea the Lord has been “taken away” (John 20:13). First she deals with Jesus’ death, and now the possibility someone has stolen his body, perhaps as some cheap stunt. Whatever hope she had placed in Jesus seems READ MORE

Reflections on Suffering

The great Apostle Peter once wrote, “Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good” (1 Peter 4:19). Clearly Peter understood two very important things: when we do the will of God suffering may come (contrary to the whole health and wealth narrative), and God READ MORE

Thoughts on Aronofsky’s “Noah”

Christa and I went to a late morning showing of Noah yesterday at the West Acres Cinema in Fargo. Honestly, it was better than I anticipated, and yet it fell well short of what it should have been. Some of the positive things about the movie, things that I frankly thought filmmaker Darren Aronofsky did READ MORE

Renewing Winter-Dead Branches

As the month of March begins to tease many of us in the North Dakota and Minnesota region with hints of spring, I cannot help but find my hunger for seasonal renewal getting stronger. With the days getting ever longer and the snow melting more and more each day, it is hard to not be READ MORE

I Will Say “Yes”

Lord, patiently, you ask me to wait. But this chore seems so slow. Thus, I ask you to hurry And you kindly, gently, say “no.” You, the Creator, hold all in your hand Thus, here I shall watch with wonder; stand. And run not ahead to where I think you must go. I shall wait, READ MORE