Inspiration Faith & Prayer Health & Wellness Entertainment Love & Family
Newsletters Special Offers

Mark D. Roberts

As most of my readers know, blogging is not my day job. My official title at work is “Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge.” I have served in this role for the last three and a quarter years, after sixteen years as Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Southern California. Laity Lodge is…

An Expansive Vision for Family Worship Psalm 22:1-31 The whole earth will acknowledge the LORD and return to him.      All the families of the nations will bow down before him. Psalm 22:27 Many years ago while on a sabbatical from my pastoral role at Irvine Presbyterian Church, my family and I visited several prominent…

My latest article at the Patheos Preachers Portal focuses on “Exegeting Your Congregation.” I was motivated to write this article by a Christmas Eve sermon that included a reference to “The Rabbit of Caerbannog.” You get extra credit if you know what this is! I think this article will be of interest, not just to…

Three recent articles in the news caught my eye. New Edition Cleans Up Huckleberry Finn A new edition of Mark Twain’s classic novel, Huckleberry Finn, is being published. This version cleans up the text, replacing the N-word (used 219 times) with “slave,” and “Indian” for “Injun.” The editor proposes that this edition will be suitable…

Today is Epiphany, the day after the twelve-day celebration of Christmas (or in some liturgical calendars, the twelfth day of the Christmas season). The English word “Epiphany” comes from the Greek word epiphaneia, which means “appearing” or “revealing.” Epiphany focuses on God’s self-revelation in Christ. On this day, some Christian traditions pay special attention to…

Check out this fascinating little article in the New York Times. Who’d a thunk it?

Yesterday, I began to gather together the strands of this series and weave some conclusions about what transforms us. I suggested that: • Transformation begins when something interrupts our ordinary experience.• Transformation comes through pain.• Transformation comes through children. Today I want to add to further reflections on what changes us. Transformation is a result…

Today’s New York Times features an article entitled: “Graphics Ability Is the New Goal for Chip Makers.”  Consumers, it appears, are less interested in light, svelte laptops and more interested in graphics power. One striking excerpt: By some forecasts, video will account for about 90 percent of all consumer Internet traffic by 2013. Facebook says…

I’m finally ready to answer the question that has guided most of this series on A Christmas Carol: Why did Ebenezer Scrooge change? Today I want to sum up what we’ve discovered and make some connections to our own experience. Transformation begins when something interrupts our ordinary experience. For at least a couple dozen years,…

Oliver Sacks, a physician and bestselling author, has written an intriguing piece in the New York Times. “This Year, Change Your Mind” suggests ways we can keep our minds healthy and alive, even as we age. Here are some excerpts: NEW Year’s resolutions often have to do with eating more healthfully, going to the gym…
archives most recent
search this blog
More from Beliefnet and our partners