I always thought Lent was 40 days. And it is–if you exclude the Sundays during the Lenten Season. Sundays were historically excluded from the count because one did not fast on Sundays. Learn something new every day! I had a…
Author: Talbot Logan
Having not gone to seminary, these posts are merely the observation of a layperson. Feel free to question, disagree or add your thoughts. This is an invitation for all to participate in a dialogue about what spirituality means and what we can learn from the teachings of the Bible, regardless of our background
What Kind of Seed am I?
A dear friend of mine shares the same birth-date as I do, although I have twice as many years under my belt. As per tradition, we exchanged mutual greetings on our birthday last month. This year, she surprised me by…
Is There Room in the Inn?
The season between Advent/Christmas and New Year’s seems to be made for self-reflection. I particularly find this time to be daunting–trying to take stock of what happened and prepare myself for what will happen. Every year for the last several,…
ARE YOU ONE OF THE ONES?
While this article may start with a focus on John the Baptist, it will quickly go beyond just the New Testament character. I invite you to continue to read this without judgement and see if at the end of the…
What Exactly is Sin?
Ever since Moses brought the tablets down from the mountain top, the notion of sin has been much discussed. What constitutes sinful behavior? Is sin situational? Are we as humans inherently destined to sin? Many Abrahamic theologians have attempted to…
“Hate the Sin but Love the Sinner”—The Seven Deadliest Words
I often struggled with this statement as a gay man coming to terms with his sexuality in the Presbyterian church. It felt like there was inherent permission to hate an aspect of me that some assumed was merely a behavior…
The Reason for Hate
In talking to a friend about the Las Vegas murders, she told me that she was focusing on the stories of heroism and of people helping total strangers. While she honestly wanted to celebrate the helpers as a way of…
It is Going to Get Worse Before It Gets Better
How many times have you heard the words “it’s always darkest before the dawn”? As someone who has struggled with depression, I have heard some variant of that phrase uttered by the most well-intentioned people as a way of entreating…
Who Am I? And Why Does Being Last Hurt?
The question of identity has constantly echoed throughout mankind’s history, almost unceasingly. This need to connect, to define and to understand has resulted in cultural revolutions, religious crusades, civil wars and more. As we go about trying to make sense…
Are You In or Out?
This simple question strikes fear in my heart. For many of us, I believe that notion of being in or out was first tested on the playground, or amongst a group of kids of the same age. Often, that question…