Opinion

Reflection

One reality of living in this great State of Kansas is the certainty that we experience four distinct seasons of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Another reality is that sometimes those seasons change incredibly quickly. For example, the last two days of 2024 were so warm with temperatures in the mid-60s that it felt like Spring. Less than a week later, as we crossed the threshold into 2025, the temperature plummeted into single digits with ice and blizzard conditions as snow blanketed our state. Personally, I enjoy the different seasons of our Kansas weather. I would tire of the weather if it was always bitterly cold or exceedingly hot all year. Now, what does the change in weather have to do with our spiritual life? This is supposed to be an article about religion, not a weather forecast!

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Is God Dead?

Last week we mentioned “beauty” as soul food. It seems to me that since we have established that human beings are made up of both a physical body and an immaterial soul, then just as the body needs hamburgers, the soul needs its nourishment as well. For the Christian soul food comes in two forms, from the Word of God in Scripture, and from the things that have been created (Rom 1:19ff). After all, it is the apostle Paul who encourages us to think on things that are lovely, excellent, and beautiful (Phil 4:8). In a very real sense, beauty is essential to a fulfilled life because it is soul food. Christian author John-Mark Miravalle says “The beholding of beauty can direct our passions, which, in turn, provide powerful motivators for action toward spiritual goodness and truth. . . . We can recognize why we have a moral obligation to pursue beauty.” Miravalle argues that truth, goodness, and beauty are all intrinsically related: where you find one you find the other two as well. That is why beauty is such a potent food for the soul, and why ugliness and evil are such soul-killers. Sure enough, Christians are called to, as Paul said, “dwell on these things,” like goodness, pureness, and beauty (Phil 4:8).

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“How Can This Be?”

Rev. Mark Somerville, Associate PastorFamily Worship Center Luke 1:26-38 The picture that Luke gives us in these verses is that of an ordinary teenage girl… Login to continue reading Login…

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Is God Dead?

Ty B. Kerley A Mind and Body Last week we posed a series of questions designed to make us think about a unique capacity that… Login to continue reading Login…

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Is God Dead?

Ty B. Kerley Manson and Fifty Years Now, back to the question, “How do you get from atoms to self-consciousness?” How do you get from… Login to continue reading Login…

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Is God Dead?

I Think, Therefore I Am Ty B. Kerley The 17th-century French philosopher René Descartes famously said, “I think, therefore I am.” And what Descartes meant… Login to continue reading Login…

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Is God Dead?

The 17th-century French philosopher René Descartes famously said, “I think, therefore I am.” And what Descartes meant by that was he knew he existed because he was conscious of himself; what is called self-consciousness. Self-consciousness is a uniquely human attribute that is shared by all non-impaired individuals. However, consciousness and self-consciousness are two very different things, and the distinction is important. Humans, for some particular reason, are uniquely endowed with both consciousness and self-consciousness.

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