The Rich Man and Lazarus

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By Shawn Boonstra

In fact, the story comes immediately after Jesus tells a number of parables that all begin with the same kind of language:

A certain man had a fig tree….”  (The parable of the barren fig tree, Luke 13:6)

“A certain man gave a great supper….”  (The parable of the great supper, Luke 14:16)

“A certain man had two sons….” (The parable of the prodigal son, Luke 15:11) 

"There was a certain rich man….”  (The parable of the unjust steward, Luke 16:1) 

 

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus begins the same way: 

A Faithful Servant's Prayer

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By Jean Boonstra

When we meet Eliezer in Genesis 24 he is unnamed and is referred to only as Abraham’s oldest servant. In this chapter Abraham has an important task ahead of him. God has promised him as many descendants as there were stars in the sky. Abraham believes in this covenantal promise and he and Sarah receive their heir, Isaac, in their old age. Now, Isaac is grown and Sarah is gone. It is time for Abraham to find his son a wife.  He sends his faithful servant, Eliezer, out on this mission. In the process we see that Eliezer is a man of prayer.

Enjoy the Ride

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By Kurt Johnson

Enjoy the Ride

Airplanes have always intrigued me. No matter how many times I board a plane from the steps on the ground, I look down the body of the plane and wonder how does it ever get off the ground! I was in the Detroit Airport and wandered into a store featuring items from the local auto and air museum. I purchased a book entitled, “How We Invented the Airplane,” by Orville and Wilbur Wright. The book was compiled from their written testimony during patent trials from others who were attempting to claim they were the “first,” to invent certain aspects of the Wright Flyer. 

Breaking the Silence

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By Alex Rodriguez

Who will be the next Justice? Will he or she lean conservative, liberal or hold a position somewhere in-between? It’s too early to tell. What we do know is that change is inevitable. And if the ages of several of the remaining justices mean anything, more change is likely on the horizon.

The Problem with Reason

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By Shawn Boonstra

Still here?  Good. I spent the morning thinking about something.

5 Promises from a Snow Day

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By Jean Boonstra

Without my knowledge and on her own, that evening she did her work. She looked up the weather forecast, asked about how her school makes snow day decisions and did the follow up research. She found our local school district’s website and the “school closures” phone number. She crawled into bed full of expectation.

Guns in the Classroom, Guns in the Church—Has It Come to This?

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By Alex Rodriguez

This piqued my interest—especially as compared to the fiasco at Darton College a few weeks ago where a uniformed officer was apparently escorted off the campus because he was carrying his service weapon (the college has since offered an apology to the officer and regrets the incident). If one armed officer in uniform caused a teacher such discomfort, I’d hate to see how some will respond to a classroom filled with students who are packing.  

Thoughts from a Hotel Elevator

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By Shawn Boonstra

The elevator doors closed and we started the slow climb to the fourth floor.  When’s the last time somebody bothered to point that out?  I thought to myself.  I thanked him.  He got off on the third floor . . . and like a lemming, I instinctively followed him out the door.  Only when the elevator doors closed behind me did I realize that I was on the wrong floor.  I turned,  pushed the button, and waited for the car to return.