Posts by Phil Moran (Page 2)
Star of Wonder
And behold, the star they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. (Matthew 2:9-11, ESV) Perhaps they saw the extremely rare conjunction of Venus…
The Journey
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2) Every human story is about a journey and a search. You leave home to go to college, or to work, or to…
The Herod In Me
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” (Matthew 2:1-2, ESV) The season of…
Joseph’s Dream
“Her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream…” (Matthew 1:19-20, ESV) We dream a lot of strange things. I have not been a formal student since 1985, but I still sometimes dream I’m back on the campus and I’ve signed up for…
A Wonderful Movie that Misses the Point
Frank Capra’s classic film It’s a Wonderful Life is an American Christmas icon. For many, including me, December isn’t complete without watching it at least once. I was around ten years old the first time I saw it and I was captivated. I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to live in Bedford Falls, eat ice cream at Mr. Gower’s drug store, go to the dance at the high…
Jan Hus: The Wild Goose
In the historic town square of Prague, the Czech Republic, there is a large bronze statue of Jan Hus, the Christian pastor, scholar, and reformer who was burned at the stake for heresy by the Roman Catholic Church in 1415. In the Czech Republic today, Hus is primarily remembered as the father of Czech nationalism and for his resistance to foreign domination, but he stood…
John Wycliffe: Morning Star of the Reformation
Aside from the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and the early years of the Christian movement described in the New Testament, the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century is the most important event of Christian history, and it shapes our lives as Christians right down to this day. The…
What’s God Got to Do with It?
As I write, Hurricane Irma is battering Florida. Just a few days ago we watched Hurricane Harvey flood Houston. Barely noticed in American news, devastating floods have killed over a thousand people in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. A few days ago, an 8.2 magnitude earthquake devastated southern Mexico, killing dozens. When human suffering comes suddenly and on such…
What on Earth Is an Evangelical?
In the classic Rob Reiner film The Princess Bride there is a funny exchange between the pint-sized blowhard Vizzini (Wallace Shawn) and the brave hearted Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin). Vizzini has just cut the rope that Dread Pirate Roberts was using to climb a cliff. When Roberts keeps climbing, Vizzini shouts, “He didn’t fall? Inconceivable!” To…
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