Vacations are fantastic! Don’t you agree? My wife, Faye, and I recently spent a week in Southern California. The weather was great–nice and cool when compared to Arizona. The ocean and beaches couldn’t have been better. It was the ideal place to get away from it all–a time for rest and renewal. One of the […]
Author: Kevin Ruffcorn
Labels
Have you ever noticed how people like labels? We use them to identify ourselves and others. I’m Swedish, you’re Italian, he’s Costa Rican and she’s Japanese. I’m an Independent, they are Republican or Democrats. I’m Christian, they’re Muslim and she’s Buddhist. You’re Roman Catholic, I’m Lutheran, I think he’s Presbyterian and she’s non-denominational. I guess […]
Walking Through the Bible is an Inspiring Journey
There are times when a book surprises you; you hoped it would be a good read, but you never expected it to be a great read. Walking Through the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses, by Bruce Feiler was such a book for me. Like many Jews and Christians homes, […]
What Did Jesus Say?
Have you ever been misquoted? You know—you say something and then a few days later it gets back to you in an almost unrecognizable form. This really ticks me off when it happens to me. I say enough things that I regret without people twisting my words. I am especially angered when misquotes are hurtful […]
A Touch of Awe
A Touch of Awe I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace, where never lark, or even eagle, flew; and, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod the high untrespassed sanctity of space, put out my hand and touched the face of God..” (“High Flight” by John Gillespie McGee, 1941) I know the feeling. I’ve […]
Life Without a Cell Phone
This week I haven’t had much time to probe the mysteries of the Christian faith, or question the traditions of the Christian Church. I’ve been at Bible Camp this week. Five teenagers from the congregation that I serve joined 115 other teens from twelve other Lutheran Churches for a week that is called “Campfirmation.” Have […]
A Day of Rest
No matter how we handle the Scripture most of us will agree that there is sage advice, perhaps even inspired words in its pages. One of these passages for me is, “Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a […]
Commitment to the Mystery
What do you do with a demanding, jealous God? I mean talk about high expectations! The first words concerning the Israelites—God’s people—spoken by the Lord to Moses were, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods […]
What’s Important: What We Think or What We Do?
A group of pastors and I recently grappled with the focus of our teaching ministries. Specifically, we wondered if it were more important for us to focus on the theological beliefs of the Christian Church, or if we should highlight Christian lifestyle expectations. To put the question another way, “Is what we believe more important, […]
Three Lessons from Pentecost
The story has all the appeal of a science fiction thriller. There are strange sights and sounds. An alien force breaks through locked doors, possesses a group of men and gives them supernatural powers. No this story isn’t the brainchild of L. Ron Hubbard or Isaac Asimov. The story is found in the Book of […]