Home

Verba Sparsa

Latest from the Blog

Faith and politics

Does the gospel have implications for society?

CNN’s John Blake, in an article that you should read, calls attention to how UAW president Shawn Fain drew upon his Christian faith, and on words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, to fortify the courage of auto workers headed into the recently concluded strike. It’s a good article. For friends who know where…

Keep reading
Faith and politics

Eliminationist homophobia in Ottawa County

Most eliminationist homophobes would be aghast at any suggestion that they are promoting genocide, but from the hateful speech that we hear from some of them, even in public places such as our school board meetings, I believe that some of them, if given access to a button which if pushed would instantly obliterate 400…

Keep reading
Memoir

Remembering Tim Keller

Here’s a gift link to the story the Washington Post just put up about the death of Tim Keller: https://wapo.st/41Rt8wg. As a subscriber, I can create gift links that allow nonsubscribers to read. So there you go. But I want to say a couple of things too. The article says: “Dr. Keller was 24 when…

Keep reading
Faith and politics

Democracy, Christianity, abortion

Wednesday night’s post by Heather Cox Richardson (you should read it) illustrates the central problematic in American politics: the alliance between fascist-leaning politics and selected conservative Christian values pertaining to sex. With my background, I can see clearly that antipathy toward abortion always has been and always must be a feature of authentic Christian faith.…

Keep reading
Caledonia Community Schools

Rufo has dropped his mask. Can we move on now?

Here you have it, friends. In his latest blog post, the pseudo-intellectual-in-chief of the control-or-destroy-public-schools movement states his strategy. I was going to say “explicitly” but of course it’s veiled in a fabric of faux-learned (Look, people! I know that Aristotle used a Greek word!) feints and fabrications, powered by appeals to the basest racial…

Keep reading
Caledonia Community Schools

Everyone Needs Compassion

At the monthly meetings of the Board of Education of Caledonia Community School, members of the public are allowed to make three-minute addresses to the trustees. Here is what I said tonight. Two words from me tonight: compassion and sex. Compassion comes first. And last. I know a song: “Everyone needs compassion.” It’s true. Life…

Keep reading
Bible study

Divisions and factions

But if anyone is disposed to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God. Now in this instruction that I give you I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, to begin with, when you come together…

Keep reading
Faith and politics

Angela Rigas and the “God-given right” to possess and use guns with no restrictions whatsoever

So Angela Rigas, Michigan state representative for the district in which I live, considers red-flag laws (extreme-risk protection orders), universal background checks, and requirements for safe storage of guns to be violations of the Second Amendment. Most Americans do not. Americans (and Michiganians) have differing opinions on all sorts of things. On some questions relating…

Keep reading
Caledonia Community Schools

Unofficial notes on the 1/16/2022 Caledonia Community Schools board meeting

I attended the January 16 meeting of the Caledonia school board and took notes. These are my personal, unofficial notes. There are certainly omissions, and there may be errors. The videorecording of the meeting was posted yesterday, so you can verify anything there. For the public comment section, I have added the hour/minute/second reference for…

Keep reading
Caledonia Community Schools

Fears and hopes

These are the remarks that I read during public comment time at the Caledonia Community Schools board meeting this evening. First, to the three elected in November: congratulations. To the four continuing: you have served well. Thank you. Here is what I fear, and what I hope. First: what I fear. I am one of…

Keep reading
Memoir

Pay your democracy tax: support newspapers

I delivered the Richmond Times-Dispatch to two routes in my hometown by bicycle six days a week throughout my middle school and high school years. After I added the second route my father insisted on driving me around the route in the ’63 Fairlane on Sundays and when the weather was horrible. I was up…

Keep reading
Caledonia Community Schools

January 6, Angela Rigas, and the way forward

Yale historian Timothy Snyder has posted a 15-fact summary of the January 6 committee’s report. You should stop now and read it if you have not already. I said yesterday (in a FaceBook post) that no one can be surprised by continuing revelations of Trump’s misdeeds. Anyone with clear moral vision knew what Trump was,…

Keep reading
Caledonia Community Schools

School Board Meeting 12/12/2022

These are the notes that I took during the meeting. To verify details, see the meeting video when it is posted, and the official minutes. I captured text from the slides that were shown on the monitors in the room and included it in my notes. Here are what I consider the high points of…

Keep reading
Faith and life

Remembering a funeral at a wedding

Every morning my iPad Pro somehow chooses a picture to feature in the little photos gadget on its home screen. This morning it is this photo from July 21, 2021. Here my mother, Dolores, is seated on the little side deck of her house in Hopewell VA with my niece Lauren. This is the house…

Keep reading
Bible study

Through the storm

What if you are in a storm, surrounded by enemies and headed for shipwreck? And what difference does it make if God is there in the storm with you?

Keep reading
Faith and politics

In absentia

In case anyone wonders why the verba are even sparser here than usual these days, it’s because most of my meager time and energy for this sort of thing are going into my campaign website and Facebook page. That’s right, friends, I’m running for office. Please do have a look at those two places. [As…

Keep reading

Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.

Tag cloud

abortion Angela Rigas Bible board of education Caledonia Community Schools Christianity & politics Christian nationalism Christotrumpism Covid-19 CRT deception delusion Democratic Party Eerdword evangelicalism faith fascism Heather Cox Richardson idolatry inerrancy Jesus Joe Biden John Brandow LGBTQ lies Lord's Prayer Luke patriotism Paul (Apostle) prayer Psalm 1 Psalms Putin racism Republican Party School Board Scripture self-examination Tim Morris Timothy Snyder Trump Trumpianity Trumpism truth Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Browse by month