Still the One? | Advent Devotional 2

New Advent Imange

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Matthew 11:2-3 On this Sunday of Advent, churches around the world will read John the Baptist’s plaintive question: “Are […]

Don’t Say Patience! | Advent Devotional 1

New Advent Imange

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; From his roots a Branch will bear fruit. Isaiah 11:1 “Don’t say patience. I hate it when people say patience. Everyone says patience!” A wily Lutheran pastor spoke these cheeky-yet-dead-serious words to me in a 2015 job interview. He asked me what the Lord had […]

Can Morality Exist Without God?

Do Platonic forms, social constructs, or Utilitarian ethics provide morality? Can morality exist without God? Can you be good without him?