Pain in Childbearing

It is an interesting question to ask: What does Genesis 3:16 mean when it says that, as a consequence for her sin, the woman would now have pain in childbearing? (“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”) On one level the answer is very clear, but I think we do well to see that there is more to it …

Dominican Republic – Ordinary Superheroes

(Please don’t forget to visit Nick’s blog) This is our last day in the Dominican Republic. Tomorrow morning we will head for the airport and from there we will fly for home, leaving the developing world and returning to the developed world. As much as I’ve enjoyed this experience, I can’t deny that I’ll be glad to be home. I’ve been to many homes here in Dominican Republic but I don’t know if I’ll remember any of them more vividly …

Become a Patron

Dominican Republic – God’s Hidden Gifts

Have you ever looked through the photos of children at Compassion’s site or at a table at a concert and wondered why sometimes five or six girls are wearing the same dress? It’s not a school uniform and is not a particularly nice dress, so why are several of the girls wearing it? Today I found out why. With tears of shame, even fifteen years later, Julia (pronounced “HOO-lia) sobbed her story. She had been born in such poverty that …

Dominican Republic – The Business of Hope

(When you’re finished here, please visit my son Nick’s blog at challiesjr.com.) I must have met 100 children today; 200 maybe. I had children touching my skin, poking my nose, grabbing my ears, hanging off my back, arms and shoulders, poking their hands into my pockets and asking, always asking, to have their photo taken. I shot photo after photo of children posing for the camera, smiling and giving a thumbs up or “rabbit ears.” I’d show them their photo …

Blogging the Dominican Republic

I’m writing this morning from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. As you know, my son and I are here with Compassion International to see how they serve God by serving this nation. From now until Thursday we will be touring the country and seeing Compassion’s work among its people. We will be busy all day and writing in the evenings, so, as a break from the usual routine around here, I’ll be posting later rather than earlier. In just …

A La Carte (7/17)

Tuesday July 17, 2007 Interview: Sinead O’Connor has a new album, “Theology,” that she says is based on the Old Testament (and that is being pitched to Christians). Christianity Today has an interview with her. “I also feel that Jesus is inside everybody. It’s almost like an energy or a thing that lives inside of us.” Blog: Phil Simpson is currently writing a biography of Jeremiah Burroughs (and, as I understand it, still needs a publisher!) and has just created …

Desiring the Escstatic

“Move over, politics. Americans are looking for personal, ecstatic experiences of God, and, according to our poll, they don’t much care what the neighbors are doing.” So says Newsweek in the first line of the feature article in the latest issue of the magazine. I think it would be safe to say that many professed Christians are seeking the same. “‘Young people got tired of hearing that once upon a time people experienced God directly,’ says historian Martin E. Marty …

Losing My Religion

It is a mild, grey morning at the cottage. My daughter is still asleep, so I have been unable to dial-up and do my twice-daily email check (that’s about all I do when I’m on vacation). So I’ve been passing the time by looking through directories of old articles. Among these I found the four articles that kick-started this site back in 2002. “Calvinism vs Arminianism” is dated October 10, 2002. “Mother Teresa” is dated October 28. Those articles were …

Newsweek on The Passion of the Christ

Newsweek is featuring a cover article on The Passion of the Christ in their current issue. You can read the full text of the article here. From a Christian perspective the article shows terrible theology and a view of the Bible that strips it of its inspired origin. Though deeply flawed, the article makes for an interesting read. An example: Amid the clash over Gibson’s film and the debates about the nature of God, wheth-er you believe Jesus to be …