June 26, 2023
A Hope for the Future
With his dying words, Founding Father John Adams expressed hope for the future. . . .
Articles for tag: Jon Wren
October 25, 2021
Everyday Halloween
For kids, Halloween comes once a year. But if you think about it, adults put on disguises much more frequently . . .
July 12, 2021
Faith in Action
The example of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection compelled David Lipscomb and others to put their faith into action on behalf of others during Nashville's cholera outbreak of 1873.
July 5, 2021
Netzer
Sometime in the first century, as Jewish refugees returned from exile, they settled in an area near the Sea of Galilee and named their new town Nazareth after the tender, new shoots of the Olive tree.
June 28, 2021
How Mary Became Molly
Mary dropped her water pitcher and ran straight to the front to take her husband’s place. She placed her life in danger to ensure the artillery barrage would continue.
‘In Light and Color’
Communion is not a moment for us to be proud of how righteous we think we are; instead, it is a time to reflect and celebrate that a holy God would allow sinners like us to come to his table at all!
May 17, 2021
Peculiar People
From the first century up through today, many people have watched the church and noticed that something about it is different, unique, or even a little odd.
The Hen
The metaphor Jesus' used, “as a hen gathers her chicks,” surely got his disciples' attention.
April 26, 2021
Comfort Food
When Jesus and his followers gathered together in Jerusalem to share the Last Supper, they were tired, anxious, weary, and afraid. They definitely needed some “comfort food”!
November 9, 2020
Streetlights
By Jon Wren In the 18th century, some American cities began placing streetlamps in parks and at busy intersections to provide extra light and safety for their citizens. But the earliest lamps weren’t very efficient and had to be cleaned often due to the soot caused by the flame. In Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin watched the lamps being cleaned and had an idea for a new design. He proposed using four flat panes of glass on the sides, a long funnel above to draw up the smoke, and crevices below to allow for air. Franklin’s lamp was brighter, cleaner, and more
October 19, 2020
Candyman
By Jon Wren Upon arriving in the little Russian town of Kalinovka around the turn of the 20th century, a new priest launched a program where each week children were given a short passage of Scripture to memorize—in exchange for a piece of candy. Soon, children from all over the village and countryside came to learn from the village priest and to get their candy. And of all the children who participated, a young boy named Nikki stood out by memorizing the most passages. The village elders and the priest were confident Nikki’s impressive knowledge of Scripture would lead to
October 12, 2020
Two Loves
By Jon Wren In the late 1980s, author Maggie Gallagher asserted that almost all human relationships fall into one of two categories. The first category she described as, “You are mine because I love you.” In such a relationship, the affection and love can be real, genuine, and significant, but never completely permanent. That’s because in the relationship, “you are mine” is contingent on the feeling, “because I love you.” According to Gallagher, this type of relationship is the most common, but also the most destructive for a person’s well-being because it’s based upon feelings and perceptions that can change
September 7, 2020
Expensive Messages
By Jon Wren Would you like to receive a birthday message from legendary quarterback Brett Favre? It’ll cost you $400. Want to send your spouse an anniversary message from country music superstar Granger Smith? That’ll cost you $74. Or, since it’s Grandparent’s Day, perhaps you’d like to send your grandparent or a grandchild an encouraging video from Oscar-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss. It’ll cost you $999. All of these celebrities and more can record and deliver a custom video message for you through a platform called Cameo. Cameo contracts with various singers, actors, athletes, and other famous people to provide, for
August 31, 2020
Manna
By Jon Wren They were living in “unprecedented times.” It was their “new normal.” And they were all “in this together.” They were a group of desert nomads wandering in the wilderness with no idea of what would happen one day to the next. Some missed the certainty of the past, others had a mixture of hope and skepticism about the future, but they all were tired and disillusioned with the present. Sound familiar? Even though the events of Exodus 16 took place among very different people and in very different circumstances than our own, it’s hard not to see
Communion on the Moon
By Jon Wren This Monday, July 20, marks the 51st anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. It was the culmination of years of intense planning, research, and effort—and of centuries of scientific and astronomical study. It ranks as possibly the most impressive human achievement in history. People of a certain age can recall the image of the American flag on the moon’s surface and Neil Armstrong’s famous “one giant leap for mankind” statement. But probably very few people know about something else that happened that day on the moon. After the landing, astronaut Buzz Aldrin removed from his “personal
June 22, 2020
Religion
By Jon Wren Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m spiritual, but not religious” or, “I’m not into organized religion”? We’ve probably all heard it; maybe we’ve even said it! In matters of faith, there might not be a less popular word than religion. The word religion comes from Latin; it is a combination of the word re (meaning “again”) and ligamen (meaning “bond” or “connection”). Ligamen is the Latin root for the English word ligament—the connecting tissue between muscle and bone. The word religion essentially means to reconnect something that has been broken, severed, or torn apart. What a
June 15, 2020
Application
By Jon Wren Did you know Google receives more than 2 million job applications each year? Of those applicants, only about 0.02 percent are hired—after up to 29 different interviews! Harvard University receives 40,000 applications each year and accepts fewer than 2,000. But neither of those can rival the stringent vetting of Chick-fil-A! Chick-fil-A receives more than 50,000 franchise applications per year and contacts only 60 to 100 people for an interview. (Contacting 100 applicants from among 50,000 equates to 0.002 percent.) The process subsequently involves up to 10 interviews, 12 written essays, and includes a final “make it or
Perspective
By Jon Wren One evening more than 2,000 years ago, Jesus and his followers huddled in a house in Jerusalem and shared a meal we now call Communion. We don’t have any details about what the house looked like or who owned it. But in that house that night, a small group of fishermen and outcasts huddled together for a meal while hiding out from the authorities. Today, untold numbers of tourists from around the world visit Jerusalem to visit places where scholars think that house might possibly have been. Think about that for a moment. When Jesus’ followers took
April 6, 2020
The Science of Memory
By Jon Wren As modern science learns more and more about the human brain, some of the biggest findings have centered on memory. New research is helping us understand not only how we remember things, but also why we remember some things more than others. Interestingly, new findings show that nothing creates a stronger memory than experience and repetition. For example, when we meet someone and learn their name, that information goes to a specific part of the brain called the hippocampus. That’s where the brain stores facts and figures. But the circumstances about where, why, and how we met
November 19, 2019
Thankful
By Jon Wren French journalist and author Alphonse Karr was widely known throughout Europe in the 19th century as chief editor of Paris’ famous Le Figaro. Yet despite his fame in journalism, Karr’s passion in life was gardening. Karr described his life’s philosophy this way: “Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.” Karr’s words are a perfect illustration of the thanksgiving and gratitude Christ followers should have. The apostle Paul encouraged the church in Colossae to see their lives and circumstances through the perspective of gratitude for Christ and his work in their
