tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33720991352724600092012-01-22T18:09:43.049-05:00The weblog of Chris Van Allsburg.Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.comBlogger1401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-37528323176573438092012-01-22T07:07:00.009-05:002012-01-22T18:09:43.058-05:00

The captive prisoner smiles as he notes he has been awaiting trial for two years now. The crime? Stealing a pack of gum. "I'm so very happy you've come to see me," he says to his American visitor. In the upper portion of this South American prison, where beatings and filth co-join as malevolent twins in a quagmire of bureaucratic arrest, the professor of criminology stares in awe at the man's

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-51226750454622195572011-12-25T14:57:00.010-05:002011-12-25T19:41:00.416-05:00

...I've decided to compile some good memories of my mom, as she is in the hospital due to kidney and heart failure. We don't know what is going to happen, but nurses and doctors expect a slow recovery. I hope so. We'll see...It's the level of oddness I sensed in how excited she was about the cinnamon & sugar doughnut holes, for there was something in her eyes--they got wide with delight and

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-92142605378134714322011-12-22T19:42:00.003-05:002011-12-22T19:55:56.728-05:00

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Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-87100106101582537172011-12-20T19:33:00.008-05:002011-12-20T19:58:23.778-05:00

I posted this comment on the Ratio Christi blog on facebook DEVELOPERS, in response to a question about how God could become a man, and the paradox and apparent contradiction involved.Here is the question:"Here's a paradox that actually comes from Christian teaching: To be human is to be imperfect and have limited knowledge. So how could an omnipotent God experience what it is like to be human?

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-39489688181022080162011-12-01T19:47:00.005-05:002011-12-02T06:52:10.541-05:00

The video shared on the net and primarily through facebook about the fine, young man raised by two lesbians is being used to show that it is indeed possible for a person to be raised as a responsible, educated, and industrious citizen without the aid of a male/female parentage, the latter vision of which so often appears in the minds of people when the term "traditional marriage" is invoked

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Let's think about the statement, "All religions are the same." That sounds pretty much spot-on doesn't it? I mean, if you think about it, all religions pretty much teach the same thing: love your neighbor as yourself. Well, let's take a closer look at that, from a simple, philosophical point of view, as a detailed look at particular religions here spoils the brevity of this post.If all

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You're feeding the baby on a sunny afternoon, and your two-year-old is helping with the sippy cup. Or maybe you're fixing the car in the garage, or working in the garden. Whatever. But here comes a nice-looking trio of people in a station wagon! Perhaps its some friends of yours, or some acquaintances come for a visit. So, you go out to the car to meet them, and there are two ladies in the front

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-37857550223992041802011-07-24T23:02:00.010-04:002011-08-27T17:33:44.046-04:00

You came from the countryside after your husband died You broke down and cried when the schoolmaster decided to bring your daughter in. There was rejoicing and hot tears as your fears receded like the morning tide inside your pride an educated girl with a chance to dance in this world but then one day, The news of HIV broke your hope and you noticed odd behavior on daughter's part and you took a

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When you get back from wherever you went, wherever you now are will put you in a situation where you will suffer in a number of ways. For folks from the good ol' U.S. of A., the shock of re-entry into American society can be so overwhelming, that a real case of depression is likely to set in for a number of reasons. Now, not all mission trips are the same. For example, many medical teams work

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The hosts of a Christian talk radio show, which I shall leave unnamed, lamented and derided so-called Evangelicals for their cavalier attitude toward the nature of Scripture, the exclusivity of Christ and the reality of Hell. So far, I was glad for these men who spoke with such boldness on these issues, but even as I did so, it was with a casual nod, for their simplicity regarding the

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The rain fell. The overcast sky upon the Korah area sets itself like a lid on an oppressive jar with gray overtones, expressionless, ominous. Intermittent shades of sun fade in and out only to have their faint smiles smeared away by the colorless cloth above, as the bright fog sweeps in and out in wraiths from up on high. The heavy stones laid down by the government decades ago lead us through

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"It's a calculated risk," says Taylor as I sip the mango juice at the restaurant alongside the highway. We're a few hours south of Addis, taking all of the Transformation Love youth on a retreat. I sip the juice with a wearied eye and set the glass down with a gentle fear. "What do you mean, 'calculated risk'?" I say. "Well, anytime you come to a foreign country you risk getting a

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She came from the north of Addis to live and work there, the reason of which is unknown. She began to work cleaning houses. A handsome, dignified man wooed her, and soon she married him and bore him three beautiful children: two girls, and a boy. The living eked itself out through lower back pain and a daily staple of injera with wat, a soppy, vegetable sauce with spices. Not much, but family

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-76732379293700603182011-07-01T18:02:00.009-04:002011-08-27T17:34:08.458-04:00

Today Pam Corder led us in charge to rescue a little girl and her mother. A visit to the home yesterday gave credence to legitimate charges of abuse by the mother's boyfriend, who, according to witnesses was incensed at the presence of Transformation Love home visitors. This little girl needs surgery on a very delicate part of the body and has AIDS. If she does not get the surgery very soon, she

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-7952151238858509172011-06-08T22:53:00.003-04:002011-06-08T23:28:47.665-04:00

He just sold the big dealthinkin' he's goin' buy a big wheelfloat down the strip it's a tripHe knows he's livin' a lieWhen he raises his hands up high...and closes his eyes on SundayBut what's he got between his--his--cuz it's night time comin'anxiety poppin' into his mindhe can't unwind without a glass full of swinesittin' in front of his 54 inch he's satisfiedon the screen seein' pics of kids

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-7065377291072969342011-06-06T15:49:00.011-04:002011-06-06T21:20:15.187-04:00

Interesting and disturbing. That is what I would say about the preaching I watched on television yesterday. Interesting because catching the dynamic of a man shouting at his congregation and assaulting them with shame makes me wonder what exactly is in this man's message that keeps people coming back? Disturbing because of the content of his message--more so than the way he communicated it.As

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-58414555336191741812011-05-30T22:00:00.004-04:002011-05-30T23:24:04.380-04:00

War, and the American experience of it, has always been on my mind, ever since I can remember thinking beyond myself, and about bigger things in life other than my need for amusement in forms of video games, physical games (baseball), after-school cartoons and the unfortunate bane of a fantasy life thrust upon teenage boys from various sources, both without and within. "We've been at war in

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-24722393560807308002011-05-24T12:47:00.008-04:002011-05-24T14:49:09.959-04:00

Viruses as "Non-Entities" for a Proper Understanding EvilA virus is not a living organism because it cannot "multiply without hijacking the reproductive machinery of a cell," says scientist Edgar Andrews in his book, Who Made God?* A virus is in contrast to a single biological cell, what Andrews and the rest of the scientific community (most notably, geneticist and evolutionary biologist John

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-77117116928515458602011-05-20T17:32:00.002-04:002011-05-20T17:36:32.863-04:00

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Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-39991514316759272552011-05-09T00:02:00.005-04:002011-05-09T00:45:54.647-04:00

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Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-39567312403569538112011-05-07T18:35:00.007-04:002011-05-07T19:22:14.632-04:00

Schizophrenia stretches beyond the bounds of modern psychology. It's spread throughout our culture like pepper corns on the table after whoops! you fumbled the cap and spilled the bottle--but not all of it. The modern mind is schizophrenic because it is both modern and postmodern, rational and irrational at the same time. A mind divided against itself cannot stand. It puts orange juice in the

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-69089297258701283842011-04-27T23:18:00.010-04:002011-05-07T08:22:52.664-04:00

Amidst the encyclopedic volumes capable of satisfying a pyromaniac's bonfire dreams, there is the discussion here in this title. And I'll be a pyro's pariah for this one, I'm sure. I'm willing to learn and be corrected on this. Nevertheless, permit me to think "out loud" for a moment. But let me repeat: I'm willing to be corrected on this.Let's first get down with some definitions. There's

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-7172463154532453262011-04-22T14:21:00.003-04:002011-04-22T17:08:02.878-04:00

And will you Jesus, be shown less than I?at the renewal of all things and of the body?Will I be made whole while yours is the partto uphold by your will that powerful art:the cosmos and my soul, both by your will.they are expanding still...Will I touch with my hand the hand of pierced kill?Will the face of all beauty show a body distressedWhile I hold with my hand the hand that holds all the

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-80963681603346489602011-04-17T08:10:00.009-04:002011-04-28T23:24:31.984-04:00

"They brought the donkey and her colt and put their garments on them, and he sat upon them." ηγαγον την ονον και τον πωλον και επεθηκαν επ αυτων τα ιματια και επεκαθισεν επανω αυτων (1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament).Well, that's odd. Jesus rode two donkeys? Do you wonder how that's done? It says he rode on them, right? Someone I know once suggested that Jesus was indeed riding both the donkey

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-20116190627760621462011-04-16T23:16:00.012-04:002011-04-28T23:24:31.985-04:00

Jesus is ready to go to Jerusalem, where he knows he will be killed. "See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day," (Matthew 20:18-19).On their way to Jerusalem, Jesus tells his

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-26685844387118513622011-03-21T21:42:00.009-04:002011-03-25T21:59:44.767-04:00

Say what? Yes, I was reading John Frame's Doctrine of the Knowledge of God, which is a theology of the theory of knowledge (epistemology--"It's all epistemology these days, don'tcha know that guys?" Fletch, but with ball bearings). That was the beginning point for me in accepting the biblical doctrine of infant baptism. To that point, I had thought infant baptism was a hangover from the

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-54572313324163408732011-03-17T23:26:00.013-04:002011-09-07T23:00:38.686-04:00

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A Sermon on Psalm 23.<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-63656085130659096292011-03-09T18:18:00.010-05:002011-04-28T23:25:26.727-04:00

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--> “Ash Wednesday,” writes Anne Lamont, is supposed to be about preparation, about consecration, about moving toward Easter, toward resurrection and

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-39756802102746852832011-03-08T21:39:00.006-05:002011-03-25T22:01:35.657-04:00

Ok, I might regret this, but I have always considered starting a log of "Bad Church Signs" or "Bad Church Marquis." Why might I regret this course? That is because while I don't want to be known as a negative, "critical" person, or a "finger-pointer" or part of the "orthodoxy police," I also recognize that the Church here in America has given itself over to sloganeering, and too often the

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-14063584179697818812011-02-14T23:10:00.006-05:002011-03-25T22:02:20.109-04:00

A Look at Romans 1:1-7...<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-25590545316506339662011-02-02T20:40:00.006-05:002011-05-09T00:00:19.930-04:00

Haggard and worn, she approaches with tears in her eyes. She looks a bit strung out. The lined face, oily hair, dirty clothes, and bent posture scream years beyond her actual age of forty-four. "Please help me," she cries. Your heart goes out to her, and you desperately want to help. She looks back over her shoulder, acknowledging her friend, waiting in the old, rusty van. on the other end of a

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-58066936152380746572011-01-31T21:32:00.010-05:002011-05-06T17:32:09.156-04:00

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In Bertrand Russell's Why I Am Not a Christian, he offers a brief quip in his dismissal of the cosmological argument for the existence of God. He notes that he had thought of the argument at the age of eighteen when reading John Stuart Mill's Autobiography, where he read: "My father taught me that the question, 'Who made me?' cannot be answered, since it immediately suggests the further question

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"Early Christians met in homes," we are reminded. "I don't need man's corrupt institution," we are told. To that, some Christians add that going to an organized service in a building on Sunday is a mere tradition, part of--again--"man's opinion" rather than something that is organic, authentic and real, which is what God really wants. Finally, we are told that what we find in the pages of the

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“Give me the songs of a nation, I care not who writes its laws.” “Give me the songs of a nation, I care not who writes its laws.” So says 18th century Scottish political thinker Andrew Fletcher (oft quoted by Ravi Zacharias). Whatever the rules of a society, it is the songs that really motivate them. It is the songs they sing that really inspire them. It is the songs sung in the bars, on the

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-45744667641248226002010-12-31T12:40:00.007-05:002011-02-02T20:37:40.955-05:00

Yankee swap! You don't like your Secret Santa gift? Steal someone else's, or take the risk and open one sitting under the tree: maybe it's good--like an ipod, or maybe it's bunk--like homemade oven mits. It's "Yankee Swap," and Office Manager Michael Scott's ruse ruins Jim's present to Pam: a lime-green teapot replete with Jim & Pam memorabilia and trinkets stuffed inside, amongst the whole

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Awake. Her freckles crinkle with her smiling eyes as mandolins play sweet and solemn blended harmony. It reminds her of fresh pine needles, and hay and straw, tossed up into the air, and floating down in the sunshine with the glow of golden light.Walk. As her hair bounces in her slim shoulders, she strolls down a slight slope of grassy meadow, with an elegant forest on either side of her.

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Of the two people among the many to whom I fessed up, she is one who offers a terrible, yet similar story. The other is my lovely wife, who consoles me with kind assurance. And yet, prior to that, her look had said, “That’s ridiculous.” Everyone else grimaces, quivers their lip, or gives a look of fright. None of them sets forth any condemnation. But the looks and expressions: “Wow” is one.

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I got news today of someone throwing a birthday party for their three-year-old, and the parents registered their child for gift-buying. Yes, they registered their child. What is going on here? Parents want their child to have a fun-filled birthday party, and they want gifts, and they don't want repeat gifts, and they want gifts from a particular store, to boot.They want gifts.I don' t know if

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Happy birthday John, you would have been seventy.Would you live in a castle in England, in the countryside,Musing over the hearth at those steel-rimmed spectacles of decades gone by?When you were young and wore purple coats and green jackets and criedfor a chance at peace.Happy birthday John. Would you regret anything of your past, like the rest of us?You went to a far eastern land with a

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The trail curves along the forest floor, pouring forth from the mid-section of the dune like the rolled out tapestry of a regal ceremony. The hill just climbed--it carries up, back, to the left high into the sky beyond sight. Green illumines all periphery with ferns and moss flowing through the forest in swimming swarms. Splashes of orange and red tickle gray mushrooms and morels on felled

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Or, "How to witness for Jesus to a total stranger and not feel like you are lying to them when you tell them God loves them and that Jesus died for them, even though you don't know if they're elect." Or, "How to tell someone that Jesus died for them."Calvinists haven't always been the greatest at evangelism. At least not since the days of Edwards, Whitefield, Judson and the great missionaries

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-13321454568883727152010-09-13T22:19:00.007-04:002010-09-13T23:01:05.260-04:00

Busy, taxi-crowded streets. Gray skies intermittent with piques of blue streak through bringing rays of light that sheer off into dusk. A long day in the countryside, and now in the market square. There's a roundabout filled with shards of large, misplaced--or forgotten--rock. And accident, so prevalent here, gathers onlookers as well as passersby. Nothing new here. Traffic accidents are

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-13555883874537022002010-08-07T22:29:00.016-04:002011-06-18T11:01:40.660-04:00

She lay on the bed in a cradle position holding her head in her hands, moaning in pain. In comes the daughter, sitting at the bench with keen attention and smiles. I introduce myself through the pastor who translates for me: “I’m from America and I’ve heard about Korah, and my heart breaks for the people here. I’ve brought these groceries…grain, beans, lentils, peanut butter, cooking oil and

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-45052796657218740522010-08-07T13:10:00.007-04:002010-08-20T20:40:10.565-04:00

In whispers, two figures meet early, as darkness fades into the morning light. Except for the hyenas, whose whine and howl near the dump cascade the morning’s call, all is quiet in Korah. Faint and far away along the main road, vomiting diesel spews from the exhaust of lurching trucks in black, poisonous bursts. “Salam, greetings. How are you?” Whispers. The children sleep yet. “Thanks be to

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-22748588385114794562010-07-25T17:20:00.005-04:002010-07-31T00:35:17.827-04:00

After a long day on Friday, I laid me down to rest. Planning a day to some waterfall tomorrow. Going for a hike. Couple guys are driving us, and we’ll get out of this polluted, dilapidated city for the day. All of the new buildings look like ancient ruins. I see no construction workers on them. I wonder if it’s all for show, to keep the people hopeful. The taste of garbage is still caked

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-35455152090105097192010-07-24T11:13:00.008-04:002010-07-25T19:09:37.126-04:00

She plays the piano, slow, like the waving silk curtains floating away from the open window...She escorts us out of her home, and walks us to the vehicle. Her smile is a beacon leading me past the makeshift kitchen where there are boulder-sized sacks of refuse, and open-faced shacks tied together with sticks and twine from the dump. "What is in those sacks, really?" I think to myself. Big,

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-3584691267876667122010-07-21T20:22:00.006-04:002010-07-23T17:11:06.181-04:00

Balmy sun and cool breeze bounce of my blue shirt--the one I wear when I know I'll need protection from the elements. It's one of those shirts you pay extra for at a camping store. I also had my boots on. My feet and body are protected. Ha. Me and my protective gear...I step out of the vehicle and onto the odd, uneven, narrow street. It is like cobblestones, but made of shards of sharp rock

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-86598227110499547962010-07-04T13:06:00.006-04:002010-07-04T14:18:42.975-04:00

Maybe it's too obscure. The fact that I have not had any published poems perhaps means that I need some real help in writing them. Well, what can I say? Whatever the case, I have a total understanding of my poem because I experienced it and still continue to do so. But you, dear reader, have not experienced what I have. How could you? Your life is your own; you have your own stories to

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-91345101525523003552010-07-02T20:19:00.003-04:002010-07-02T20:50:17.934-04:00

I remember the day you fell asleep. It was a late day in July. He said, "Shouldn't you be getting home by now?"I spent the night in a sigh--too wired for a weep. The long shadows of the evening set inI had been on my bmx bike (shiny rims & spokes, cool graphic pads)The tall elms and oaks strenuated a dinA chorus of a life...You must've been traveling at the timeWe saw you the next day lying in a

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-24388489249079825162010-06-01T21:39:00.004-04:002010-06-01T22:30:41.516-04:00

Small feet of a little child patter and splash out of the shack. They leave tracks in the mud. The child runs down an alley row by row of shelters just like his. Card board and rags tied on sticks…the endless maze of makeshift homes. The rags flap in the breeze like lonesome flags hoisted on abandoned ships. The little feet run in the direction of the dump. Perhaps there’s food there.Child

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-34955434524577062392010-05-05T21:59:00.004-04:002010-07-05T21:45:24.704-04:00

Most Americans believe in God. What is the percentage, like 80%? I'd peradventure, however--and I'm just guessing here!--that most of that percentage is concocted of an image of God informed more by the American culture's ethos and pathos than any concept derived from an institutional church, a denominational creed, or a theological paradigm. Go to a local bar or NASCAR event, walk the aisles

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-10997416849956798692010-05-02T22:52:00.000-04:002011-02-02T20:38:12.917-05:00

Now, since culture defines which words are apropos and which are not, how are such definitions fabricated? If a person is angry and uses a swear-word –substitute (remember the cousin in the Sunday dress), is it a sin? In either case, if a person is angry, does it matter what phonetically comes out of the mouth, or is it the anger behind the word? A person who emits a swear word cousin (the

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-52698175985627517322010-05-02T22:50:00.001-04:002011-02-02T20:38:12.917-05:00

But what is a cuss word? I purport that cuss words do not exist in the universal sense. The only real (universal) cuss word is condemned in Exodus 20:7: "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” But what about these other words? Does the Bible tell us which ones to avoid? Well, no. That would be an impossible task,

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-76785724578286751112010-05-02T22:49:00.001-04:002011-02-02T20:38:12.918-05:00

But the real deal is that cuss words are defined by the culture in which they exist. And as cultures progress in defining what is the norm, cuss words may become standard, acceptable and expected. As the vernacular is used more and more in popular culture, momentum demands that over time, the words are no longer labeled as unacceptable; no thought is given to what is said because of the

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-32280404336719933262010-05-01T17:32:00.000-04:002010-06-24T21:51:50.880-04:00

Frequently, from people’s mouths are emitted certain words, and those of the norm stand in judgment, shock or disappointment (or all three simultaneously, or a combination any two) labeling such perpetrators as deviant. Of course, it all depends on the context of the situation. When people cuss, they are often in the norm of culture, but they are also deviant in that such language is not

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-67486394868481301772010-04-23T22:59:00.007-04:002010-06-24T21:52:27.414-04:00

I was told by a friend of a friend that because I am skeptical about "particles to people" evolution, that I must submit a viable scientific paradigm that replaces the Darwinian paradigm of evolution. But surely this is not the case? Just because I am skeptical about something, that does not mean that I must assert a position to the contrary of that which I am skeptical. For example, I may

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-30560253252573834042010-04-21T23:45:00.004-04:002010-04-22T00:43:33.605-04:00

We've seen that the faith the Bible commends toward those who believe in Jesus Christ is never a faith without reasons or evidences. However, some contend that to have faith in the message of the Bible requires blind faith, because we are not in the first century as eyewitnesses of the life and ministry of Jesus and the Apostles. "If," we say, "we could only transport ourselves back in time and

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-69628268105309453922010-04-21T23:35:00.000-04:002010-04-22T00:43:33.606-04:00

People often talk about faith as belief without any evidence. Oddly, some Christians as well as atheists recognize this proposition as true. Sometimes when Christians get together to discuss matters of faith that seem unanswerable, or encounter objections that, on the surface, pose a serious problem toward belief in the Christian religion, they fall back on this quip that faith is belief

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-67776508293243954802010-04-01T23:59:00.003-04:002011-02-02T20:37:04.608-05:00

Jesus died in order to pay for our sins, and not only for ours but the sins of the whole world. Jesus' death pays the penalty for sin, and the penalty for sin is death. Because Jesus is divine and infinite in his being, he is able to satisfy the wrath of God against sin in his own body. Having satisfied the penalty for sin through death, death no longer has any hold on Jesus. Since death does

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-1324588056678396112010-01-31T00:36:00.008-05:002011-05-24T14:54:08.633-04:00

I think a lot about the work people do, and the work I do. And I tend to think of work on a theological level. I ask questions about the inherent goodness of my work, and how it relates to God’s kingdom. In a more general way, I share the angst that millions feel about the work they do: does it really matter? Does this work make a difference? Of course, some people are content to just have a

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-48357756263366408822010-01-30T20:59:00.005-05:002010-01-30T21:17:19.447-05:00

What is it? This piece between fingers pinched is held, Fingers pressing, squeezing life, holding it fastWhat is it? These orbs and lobes extended beyond A flimsy stem, so held with ease, so clinched with earnest desireWhat is it? This green; a phantom, this object, I, the subject, or I the conduit? It appears before me, green patch now, as someone somewhere sometime said Is

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-60452936172379586802010-01-23T22:05:00.007-05:002010-01-30T14:06:36.963-05:00

What does it mean to be a resident alien, to live in this physical world, but anticipate the next--a "spiritual world," as it were? Moreover, how can Christians unify their existence, knowing the call of the kingdom of God in the here and now to make the world a better, healthier, more prosperous place, but at the same time, follow the injunction to "store up treasures in heaven" rather than

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-29740719082714402082010-01-19T20:32:00.002-05:002010-01-19T20:36:07.555-05:00

I think many of us are afraid to say that God Almighty, who is sovereign over all, "caused" the earthquake, or "permitted" it, which is why we say natural disasters (as it were--note the terminology again) are the result of Sin, rather than the contained in the sovereign, predestined plan of God. And we don't want to say that God is the author of evil. He most certainly is NOT. But, how can we

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-42913417801370029222010-01-17T23:42:00.002-05:002010-01-18T00:00:51.386-05:00

Sire, James W. and Carl Peraino. Deepest Differences: A Christian-Atheist Dialogue, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2009. Pp. 203. $15.00. Two friends from a book club “chance” upon one another with their respective wives at an arboretum, striking up a conversation about a popular author’s obituary (Kurt Vonnegut) which contains a reference to God. Deepest Differences discusses the crux

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-53299692931338452022010-01-12T21:55:00.005-05:002011-02-02T20:38:40.963-05:00

I had the wonderful privilege to go to Urbana's triennial conference in St Louis this year (Dec. 27-31). I am so thankful to Corinth Reformed Church, FWC and ACR for sending me. I am honored to have been sent, and I was blessed in so many ways, that I cannot write them all down in this report. Nevertheless, I think it's appropriate to tack down some of the main themes (and some minor goodies)

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-86914723353153478122010-01-06T21:21:00.003-05:002010-01-19T18:07:51.139-05:00

His bushy eyebrows bustle beyond his steel rimsand hide a kind, gentle twinklethat only years of intense patiencecan produce. His face, no longer the taut, supple, eminence of wanderlust spent in keen years of acumen and travel,sags, but with joy.And now, the jowls that come with an age that bequeaths wisdomto the listenerAre crowned with dentures and a full head of silver, white hairthick as the

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-17025777913671176392009-11-11T14:39:00.017-05:002009-11-13T12:32:52.412-05:00

You've heard the analogies of how ingredients for your favorite dish, standing by themselves make absolutely nothing beautiful; but put them together and voila, a nectareous fare presents itself to you, standing on display, showing its accouterments in robust form via aromatic spices, a perfect, golden brown crust, and all the goods inside that invite deep satisfaction to the palate, the belly,

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-70802315913434825422009-09-24T17:26:00.005-04:002009-11-06T00:18:39.274-05:00

One of the cardinal sins in Western culture today is arrogance. Not the kind of arrogance that boasts of financial, material, or other type of success, but the so-called arrogance associated with truth claims, especially regarding religion (the other is ethics, and of course, the two are interrelated). "I'm right," says someone regarding their religious views, and upward looks with rolling eyes

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-79835078378619435732009-09-17T23:57:00.009-04:002011-05-24T14:54:44.449-04:00

An odd feeling encroaches, when images of silver chalices full of deep red wine resting elegantly on fine, white table clothes evoke the image of hymnodic worship and recitation of ancient creeds. The feeling is odd because all of these things are good. The rich traditions of ancient Christianity submit themselves for purveyance, welcome and enrichment. Nevertheless, the odd feeling does not

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-59461998274949013342009-09-14T15:38:00.011-04:002009-11-09T17:02:59.315-05:00

Not long ago, the baby fat jiggled around his bellyWhen the hills were covered with ancient mist and boysRacing down hills, with hair flying back, carrying weapons of warNow he stands there, a veil a crimson to reveal A hematic stain on sheets once pureA magnificent fool with straight black hairA chubby chin and a victorious smileHow he's still a boy, but for a whileA tower strong and proudHe

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-50164712983391161892009-09-01T00:35:00.010-04:002010-01-18T00:54:37.915-05:00

“No, I didn’t,” he replied. “I just, eh….” He gathered his thought, shifting his chin to one side and glancing up at the dappled, plaster ceiling. “It just wasn’t the right fit for me. Which was really shocking, because at the beginning of it all, I imagined it was exactly what I was looking for: keen, eager minds from solid households who taught respect and obedience in a proactive manner,

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-50673365890512124742009-08-24T16:45:00.005-04:002009-08-25T00:11:26.762-04:00

Mainline Protestant churches like the United Church of Christ (UCC), Presbyterian Church USA, the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) and others have been losing members on a steady basis for decades. There is a mass exodus of congregations leaving these and other mainline denominations over the issue of homosexual marriage. Since July of 2005, for example, 256 churches have left he UCC. The

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-80818589547608678362009-08-20T13:02:00.003-04:002011-05-24T14:55:10.010-04:00

At Notre Dame, my friend Dave Hartman co-wrote an article on Fundamentalism. Its focus, as I recall was on the religious type of fundementalism. The article covers a lot of ground--like the link between fundamentalism and violence, for example--but I also remember coming away with the idea that fundamentalists--of no matter which religion or creed--feel a great sense of hostililty toward and

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-73707249736793686292009-08-02T00:39:00.004-04:002009-08-25T13:08:00.640-04:00

And so I'm packin' my bags, and I'll figure this one outI'm stackin' up my tags, and I'm going on a walk aboutSunny dust, and wind in my face, scruffy, with wings in the backof my head, flowing behind like the life I leftlike a sharp tack, a lonestar shining, waiting to poke and prickand make that person bleed--healingOne step on the loose brown gravel, crunch crunch crunchNot looking back, she's

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-64468365319211676642009-07-24T09:42:00.003-04:002011-05-24T14:55:33.607-04:00

My church denomination is very concerned about justice, fairness, and affirming. These are good things, especially in a time when everyone seems to want to crawl into their own corner, crouch down, and cover their ears. Or, they want to point their fingers while huddling together with those who are like-minded and few.We come to the question of Affirmation. What is it? How we do it? Can we have

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-9070669495460206002009-06-18T16:35:00.003-04:002009-08-25T13:08:00.640-04:00

She greets me "Gotchyoo!" through the doorBeams and gleams her smile's a'glistenShe toddles and proddles along the floorWe make funny faces, "Hi Dad!" I listenOut she goes with a sippy-cup in handHeld out forth like a delicate wandTip-tap, flip-flap, little quick feet so merrily fondHoppy-pop, hair on top, shiny tiny bit o' blonde

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-53776066725266311712009-05-16T11:30:00.001-04:002010-01-18T00:55:42.159-05:00

Having heard the slight sound of the “ocean” in the small hole near the floor amidst the few rocks at the back end of the tunnel, Seth, a begrudging, defeated, animal, straightens himself for a painful walk forward. The fear starts to come. He stops after his first step with a wince, bracing his head with his left hand; his right hand pillars itself against the wall. “Out, alive, walk.” The

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-42038036770755599722009-05-14T21:46:00.000-04:002010-01-18T00:55:42.160-05:00

Opening his eyes, he barely squints, as into the sun. He tries to brush the dirt away from them but it only sinks in deeper into his sockets. He groans with the pain, and wriggles and wiggles his way loose from the branches. They no longer invade his body, no longer probe. But they hadn’t probed, had they? No, they gave life into him. He feels more alert, more aware, and mentally…clear. He

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-62958487359800910002009-05-09T22:42:00.000-04:002010-01-18T00:55:42.160-05:00

The sand bellowed out from the hole like a froth. Seth startled with fright, then delight—his eyes and mouth opening wide with glee. The hole opened like a yawning mouth and kept growing. The ground below him started to sink, and he with it. His head was now level with the top of the sandy slope as he sunk into the ever growing, gaping hole. He yelled for help, but it was too late. He was

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-57819526060203523442009-04-18T11:49:00.001-04:002010-01-18T00:55:42.161-05:00

Seth saunters slowly out the door and down the short, green hallway and takes a right, but not before a quick pull at the water fountain. He stops in a sudden skid, his left leg kicking out like a mechanical arm, his right leg a thin pillar of support. Grabbing the rusting metal handle with his right hand, he applies all of his weight upon this one fulcrum, balancing himself on the integrity of

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-85890349089949020462009-04-17T09:45:00.011-04:002010-01-18T00:55:42.162-05:00

The young boy sits in his pastor's office, his ears and nose reddened by the chill, morning, April air. A thin, clear membrane of mucus careens out of his right nostril, then retreats with an obnoxious "Sniff! Snort!" as the boy jolts his body upward and stiffens, bracing himself with both hands in the old, wooden chair."Need a tissue?" the man asks."Nah," he says, wiping his nose with the full

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-84608845600161421282009-04-05T19:36:00.004-04:002011-05-24T14:55:52.334-04:00

Taking the test at Kalamazoo Valley Community College propelled me into the journey of labeling my personality in neat categories. I turned out to be extroverted, and....some other stuff. ESTJ is what I recall. Most poignant to me was the section on word preference. Which word do I prefer: justice or mercy? Well, as a then die hard Metallica fan, I had to pick Justice, after their 1988 album, ...

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-38116828557343735032009-03-18T08:21:00.002-04:002010-07-24T21:45:44.379-04:00

"Brynne" is a Welsh name and means "mound or hill." Her middle name is L'abri, is French, and means "shelter." It comes from Francis Schaeffer's L'abri in Switzerland. It was a chateau in the mountains used as an apologetic ministry, with a popularity primary to the 1960's and 70's.Nylah is an Egyptian name stemming from the Nile River, and means "princess warrior." It also has Celtic origins

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-78141628281508551642009-03-07T21:25:00.005-05:002009-08-22T21:00:38.338-04:00

You don't have to be a Bible scholar to figure this one out. You don't have to do any fancy, exegetical tricks, or pigeonhole yourself with any theological paradigms. And yet, that's just what we have in evangelicalism today. If you've read the "Left Behind Series," you know the basic outline of human history: Christians are "raptured" away to heaven to be with Jesus while the antichrist and his

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-78429284943432502552009-03-02T13:48:00.009-05:002011-05-24T14:56:10.485-04:00

I'm confident Alanis Morrisette would agree as to the awful irony that I made it though high school and college (and even seminary!) without ever reading Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. How could I miss this classic tome on such great themes as human freedom, societal niche, the role of "rational" science and technology as it relates to and yea, "debunks" history, religion, family, emotion, and

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-70583663870001977192009-02-07T21:18:00.002-05:002010-01-18T00:55:42.163-05:00

Cold, crisp morning air sweeps over the lake in fine, crystal mists, bringing remnants of fog burned away from the rising sun. The air alerts his frontal lobe and nasal passage, burning it with a call to attention, and the hairs on his bare arm stand up frigidly. The faster he moves on his bike, the colder his arms feel. But he'll work up a sweat. And besides, it's late Spring; it's May. The

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-51351019876974245922009-02-04T16:47:00.001-05:002010-01-18T00:55:42.163-05:00

The Summer dew nestles, shines and twinkles like dripping stars and clear diamonds on the morning flora. Plump blackberries hang precariously from their green bonds, dipping down to kiss the tall, golden grasses entrenched in the ground, awaiting to stand like soldiers giving full the commanding, mid-day sun. He peers through the guardian wall of soft pines at the border of his back yard, his

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-66243097294639136382009-02-03T22:32:00.001-05:002010-01-18T00:55:42.164-05:00

He stood on the east side of the road across from the normal, average ranch home. It was the type that had the garage on the right, and the house on the left. Three faceless, blank windows stared out at him from the top of the short, but steep driveway. Steep driveways are great because you know what that means? Walk-out basement. The house is on a small, rolling hill that lines the road

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-27950123738924928272009-01-25T20:20:00.006-05:002011-05-24T15:03:16.508-04:00

Most dudes love a football movie. That is, most dudes who like a steak, a cold beer, and a burger for dessert. "Facing the Giants" is a football movie, but it purports to be much more. Most dudes who love steak, a cold one and a juicy burger with which to wash it down and satiate by the telly, will be impressed by this film's bold declarations concerning American evangelical notions of

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-56056574345903625892009-01-08T18:01:00.002-05:002010-01-18T00:55:42.164-05:00

Sitting up here is invisibleAlone in a private caveGazing upon the VastIn this loft, this solitudeThe Nothing resonates in my ears, aThurderous void empty of soundI hear nothing but the windIt tunnels within my inner ear and silently swirlsA whisper There is no sound up here Miles above on the small hidden ledgeJust the sound of nothing--and it rings in your earsLoud and boisterous, a living

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-37202607918129640212008-12-13T12:57:00.007-05:002009-08-22T21:02:48.364-04:00

So Kevin posited this question to his pastor-friend, "Yes, but have you repented of all your sins?""Well, no.""Then maybe you should rethink how you explain the gospel to people," Kevin suggested.Kevin asked this question of his friend because he thinks that people get confused when we tell them to "repent and believe." To use the word "repent" suggests we are adding something more to the gospel

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-73541066431369370782008-12-12T08:27:00.005-05:002009-08-25T13:08:00.640-04:00

Two sick birds in bed, hacking the coughing airBlows one after the other, the tissues and the roll"What a pair we are.""Here's a tissue." It's teepee torn of its rollTeepees roll up but this teepee unrollsBoth receive waves of winds, one witholds, the other takes inThe inn our cavities frothing waves of remnants,soldiers in a war, antibodies, white blood cells,Remonstrants galore..."What a pair

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-6941980716831278532008-11-19T09:06:00.007-05:002011-05-24T14:56:24.468-04:00

I like PBS. I may peradventure aver the word "love" in reference to it. Shows like Masterpiece Theatre, Antique Roadshow, Red Green, This Old House are a great contribution to television watching that spur cultural necessities for a full life. The science department at PBS includes the program, NOVA. I love science too. In fact, if it weren't for science, I probably would not be alive today. The

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-11446266505151653332008-11-07T07:48:00.005-05:002011-05-24T14:56:38.622-04:00

If our society gets worse and worse, as many of my Christian friends are expecting it to--mostly because of a negative view of history than anything else--then I shall be glad. With the exception of increased violence, I welcome an increasingly anti-christian move in our society. You ask, how could I be in support of marriages that are absent from the traditions and norms of which Christians

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-12527981389920771182008-10-16T17:57:00.009-04:002011-05-24T15:03:38.313-04:00

A small, hasty foal I am, among the warrior riders. I fidget among them basking in their veteran's glory. "These," thought I, "have fought on many fronts, have ridden in numerous battles, have traversed mountain ranges and swum deep, charging rivers. And I have only read of their accounts. I have merely identified vicariously through tales of their wanderings."Nevertheless, accompanied by a

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-57066153154901516962008-10-09T15:09:00.003-04:002009-08-25T13:10:07.716-04:00

Two other eyes, so fruit divinegrasp this thirsty hearth and kindle the fire,for knowing and known created sublimemelodious myrhh the purer the pyreAmiable fable is this thine mine hue?Luxurious orament sensual ray"Her crystal mirror hold, unite her streams,"Relief, no--comfort this affection's arayMonica, whose name bears Hippo's bright sunEven water the late song with prayerWhile lunar

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-16683285777024315192008-10-08T16:32:00.001-04:002009-08-25T13:10:07.716-04:00

From green expanse o'er dusky lakethough eternal course may glideFrom holy gowns smiling whiteStill this fresh heart abides

Chris Van Allsburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16955371990568269785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3372099135272460009.post-74909119960617392282008-10-06T09:38:00.001-04:002010-01-18T00:55:42.165-05:00

Rapt I speak of thee my graceful wrestbeside that river no ocean may surpassmy hear of sweet song thy voicehonor, truth and beauty rejoice.

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