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Wendell Berry and the Bible

Yesterday, the beloved Wendell Berry died at age 92. He was an American novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer. Many of us profited greatly from his various writings, always being challenged by him to pay better attention to what is happening around us, and to do what we could for the good of all things, no matter how small. And he could always comfort: “The impeded stream is the one that sings.” A friend and I were texting about his pas

Norman Viss

Sep 13 min read

The Hymn We Sang and the Gospel We Missed

Rethinking "O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus" and the direction of the biblical story. Recently my lectionary devotional app played a classic hymn - O, the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus. (See lyrics below). I remember it well from my growing-up years. We sang it regularly at home and church. I could probably sing every part and most of the lyrics without a book. When I hear it today, those memories go deep. But other thoughts arise after 40+ years of life experience, during whic

Norman Viss

Aug 163 min read

Lakota Prayer

During the last few years, I have been sourcing my prayers from a variety of ethnic, cultural, and religious traditions. Sometimes the prayers are as good as – or better than – the Bible! But that makes perfect sense to me, because I take literally and seriously the declarations of the Bible that Jesus has created all things and is holding all things together (Col. 1), that “in him we move and have our being” (Acts 17 – note: a quote from a Greek philosopher which found its w

Norman Viss

Aug 142 min read

Jesus Shows Us God's Love

Part 2 of the "What is the Gospel?" series. Jesus has come to earth to show us God's love. What is God's love? And what about God's...

Norman Viss

Jun 2, 20251 min read

What is the Gospel? Part 1

I am currently doing a 6-part sermon series entitled "What is the Gospel?" Many of us who identify as Christians have a unclear view of...

Norman Viss

May 28, 20251 min read

When Life Gets Tough, We Get Tougher

How will we as communities and individuals respond to the deconstruction or collapse of our environment and perhaps our civilization? How...

Norman Viss

Mar 14, 20253 min read

We Are Not the First Ones Here

“The world has been ending off and on for almost all of recorded history….” Mathematician and collapsologist B. Sidney Smith, in How to...

Norman Viss

Mar 3, 20253 min read

Maybe It's Good, Maybe It's Not

We left you last chapter with a question: you may wonder if McLaren is too negative about Western civilization. Is there nothing that...

Norman Viss

Feb 26, 20253 min read

Don't Read the Bible (in the Same Old Way)

Brian McLaren has tried to show us that it is hard if not impossible for us to remove the rose-colored glasses through which we view our...

Norman Viss

Feb 21, 20254 min read