Category: Church
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Notre Dame, the Church, and the beauty of things that are bigger than ourselves
Since the fire at Notre Dame on Monday, I’ve been awestruck by the thoughts of the longevity of that building. If you had asked me “when was Notre Dame built?” three days ago, I probably would have guessed 16th or 17th century. I knew it was old. I would have guessed it was older than…
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Joaquin Phoenix changes Bible story while playing Jesus
Actor Joaquin Phoenix plays Jesus in a new movie revolving around the life of Mary Magdalene. In the movie, Phoenix took liberty with one of the miracles of Jesus. In John 9, Jesus heals a man who had been born blind. In John 9:6, the process by which Jesus heals the man is described as…
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Notre Dame fire and Occam’s Razor
I’ve never been to Notre Dame (or France for that matter), but I’m truly saddened by the news today of the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral. An 800 year old building that remains a marvel for art and architecture. Fortunately the entire building was not lost, but Notre Dame is forever scarred. It is a…
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The lost art of lament
Lament is a topic that is often overlooked in American churches (especially in predominately caucasian churches). Lament is very common in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. We see it as a theme throughout the prophetic books, and the Bible has more books on prophecy than in any other genre. We see it in…
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Couldn’t God just forgive us? Why was the cross necessary?
A person might look at the crucifixion, look at what the Lord did on the cross, and wonder “Why was that the only way? Why was that necessary? Couldn’t God simply forgive us?” No. This is an idea I’ve heard from Tim Keller before, and it’s an important idea on having a theology of forgiveness.
Josh Benner 