Image Credit: Gongi Montes for Rolling Stone A few years ago we posted a two-part series titled The Starbucks Logo Upside Down Looks like Baphomet: Modern Day Occultism. In these Q&A style posts, we asked one of the elders at our church, Bryan C. Hodge, a series of ten questions on the occult. It was…
Singing through the Valley of Achor
Hannah gazed out the window as the moving truck pulled away. The sound of the white metal door being pulled down and latched kept ringing in her ears. To her mind, it was an exclamation point at the end of a long sentence, a confirmation of finality.
“To Sleep in a Sea of Stars”: The Gnostic Gregorovich (Spoilers Ahead, Meatbags)
Whether in Kira's struggle with the Soft Blade, the Wranaui and their reliance on replacement bodies, or the mad ramblings of fan favorite character Gregorovich, "To Sleep in a Sea of Stars" is a novel centered around ontology, particularly in its treatment of one's connection to the physical form.
Contractions: A Story
Clara slipped her feet into the stirrups, knees spread. Naked from the waist down, she felt the chill of the sterile room beneath the thin gown as the technologist handed her the wand, properly lubricated, and told her to guide it between her legs. The silent vision appeared, and out of the darkness materialized the uproar of the womb.
The Scenario: A Story
Getting ready for the day, your mind is busy on thoughts of the numerous things that need to be done. Rushing to get through the morning tasks, there lies your Bible on the table with the sheet of paper for numerous prayer requests, undisturbed for a few frantic days now. That can be done later is your reasoning. The Lord is certainly sympathetic.
“Though You Slay Me…”: Trusting God in Grief
Two Apostles by Peter Paul Rubens, ca. 1611. "Is this Amber, the mother of Sebastian Frederick?" "Yes..." "I'm so sorry, but Dr. Batahally is requesting that you and your husband come to Sebastian's bedside immediately. His vitals dropped this morning. The doctors are trying to stabilize him, but he's not responding well. Please come as quickly…
The Babylon Bee and Elon Musk: When Comedy Becomes Cowardice
"We're wondering if you could do us a quick solid and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior." No, not a line from a Babylon Bee article, but an actual quote from the interview the Bee did with Elon Musk recently. Oh, boy. This one has me riled up. I know I'm behind the curve…
Is Rand al’Thor a False Dragon? (A SPOILER-FILLED Wheel of Time Rant)
It took me nine months, but I finally finished all fifteen books in Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series (including the prequel New Spring). Just in time, too, since the Prime Video adaptation releases this Friday. Before we go any further, here’s a spoiler warning for any who haven’t yet finished the series or…
Paid by the Convert: Revivalism in America
Today I'm linking an enlightening video on revivalism in the United States and why American churches today incorporate practices such as altar calls, mindless repetition in music, spontaneous baptisms, speaking in tongues, and other forms of emotionalism in worship. Of particular interest is the fact that some preachers during this revival period worked on commission,…
“The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig: The Fallacy of Self-Help
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is the story of Nora Seed, a thirty-something English woman who attempts suicide and ends up in a library between life and death. Its shelves are filled to the brim with an infinite number of books, all holding a life she could have lived had she made different choices.…