Holiness means the ability to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. It means being “response-able,” able to respond appropriately to the demands of life. The word virtue (arete) comes into our New Testament from a long history in Greek philosophical tradition, and it means simply to function well. Virtue is good habits we can rely upon to make our life work. Conversely, vice is bad habits we can rely upon to make our life not work, to make it dysfunctional, as we say. So a holy life is a life that works.

How contrary this is to our popular notions of holiness. Frankly, it is rarely considered a compliment to be seen as “holy” these days. And certainly no one wants to be thought of as “holier-than-thou.” To most minds the concept of holiness carries with it an air of arrogance and judgement. Furthermore, it is often associated with trivialities of behavior that we all know have little of nothing to do with a virtuous life. Because these misconceptions are so pervasive in our culture, it is crucial that we learn what holiness is not as well as what it is. Read More

Matt went to bed fairly early last night, which means I had free reign over the TV. Even though he’s generous when it comes to choosing what we watch together, I feel guilty making him watch hours of ghost shows and reality TV. There are some shows that are far more enjoyable when I don’t have to consider his feelings.

As I flipped through the channels, I noticed that there was a Lady Gaga concert on, which I would never even suggest watching if Matt was around. I thanked my lucky stars and turned on the special.

I watched the show because I’m a fan, but I was very glad to have tuned in when Lady Gaga began preaching in the middle of the show. Yes, preaching. She said, “Jesus loves everyone…” and went on from there to explain how she came to that conclusion. I was surprised, delighted, and saddened. Read More

I’ve been using a devotional/Bible reading plan for the past few months that includes one Psalm a week and different passages for each day. This week, the Psalm is 95. A couple of verses jumped out at me:

Today, if you would hear His voice,
⁸ Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,
⁹ “When your fathers tested Me,
They tried Me, though they had seen My work.
¹⁰ “For forty years I loathed that generation,
And said they are a people who err in their heart,
And they do not know My ways.

Psalm 95:7b-10

Massah and Meribah were places where Israel demanded that God provide water. They complained that God had led them out of slavery in Egypt only to take them into the desert and kill everyone of thirst. The question they wanted answered was, “Is the Lord among us, or not?” Read More

Several years ago, I was interviewing a motivational speaker. I was focused on learning about how to improve as a preacher and asked for any advice. He told me that you can learn the most from watching comedians. Their job is simple: get up and make the audience laugh for an hour.

I’ve since heard the same advice from at least one pastor, so I make it a point to watch comedians. I note their timing and delivery. I pay attention to their content. I really lean in when I get the chance to hear a comedian speak about their craft offstage. Such is what happened last night.

I happened to be listening to a radio interview with Ron White last night. The interviewer asked if he had any advice for young comedians gleaned from his many years of comedy. He said (not an exact quote, as I was scrawling notes on a receipt I hastily fished out of my purse), “I’ve noticed that the closer I am to who I actually am, the more power there is to it…The common denominator of all great comedians is that they are true to their nature. If I tell a story about something I do, even if it’s not true, it needs to be something I would do.” Read More