Parchment & Pen Blog

(Lisa Robinson) I’m sure that the title alone has sparked some questions, raised eyebrows or maybe even some scathing criticism.  But before you judge a book by its cover, please read what I think is a fascinating way that Jared Moore has constructed a guide  in which Christians can learn about God and His world [...]

(Lisa Robinson) In my earlier Christian years, I was taught to hate the world and to avoid participation in it, especially as it related to culture.  That means it’s products – music, books, movies, etc.   I recall at times being torn because in the early eighties, music video was really taking off and I did [...]

(Lisa Robinson) Well, it’s that time of year, the most celebrated and revered day in Christianity.  The death, burial and resurrection of Christ commemorates the crucial event of Christianity, without which Christianity would not exist.  So it’s the time when Christians gather to reflect, resound and renew their commitment to Christ. It’s also the time [...]

1. “Battle of Wits”: Princess Bride   2. “No its not, where is the snow?”: Elf Could not embed this so here is the link. The best is his face after he says “Where is the snow.” It is that look like, “I got ya!” 3. Its too late to apologize: “Gone with the Wind” [...]

Last week I blogged here about the recent controversy over evangelical views of TV political commentator and culture warrior Glenn Beck, who is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons). The issue there was whether and in what sense one might speak of a Mormon such as Beck as [...]

I don’t think the decision on whether we watch a movie is as simple as asking whether it has drugs, alcohol, sex, cursing, or evil behavior in it. But I am already getting ahead of myself . . . I remember when I was a pastor at Stonebair Community Church. There was this lady that [...]

Occasionally, I will get asked by one of my fellow African-americans what race do I think Jesus was.   Typically, what goes along with that question is the reflection of how Jesus has been displayed in artwork throughout Christianity’s existence.  Usually, the sentiment is juxtaposed with a sense of indignation that spurns the anglo, eurocentric dominance of such art [...]

Most certainly, there are many more things I love about Christianity than what I hate. However, I thought I would spend a bit of time here and open up the conversation in a different direction. These are the top eight things I “hate” about Christianity, in order. (Oh, and since we have thousands of first-time [...]

A friend and regular commentor here, Scott Lenke, posted this on Theologica.  I thought it raised some interesting questions. I would love to hear your thoughts

Fear is a powerful motivator and detractor.  Fear can distort our perception of reality and cause us to see situations, circumstances, people in a completely different light.  Fear will cause us to project an undesirable outcome upon those situations and imagine endless detrimental possibilities. So often in Scripture, we are told not to fear.  Jesus [...]

I don’t know about you, but over the last few years I have had some bad experiences with Christians in the business world. This may get me in hot water, but I have come to the point where I would rather do business with unbelievers than with believers. I have been burned one too many [...]

My wife, Kay, was born in the jungles of the Amazon in Peru, her parents were missionaries with Wycliffe Bible Translators where she lived on a compound with nearly 100 missionary families. Everything that was done there was somehow related to translation of the Bible into the many as yet unwritten languages of the indigenous [...]