Sharp IronSharp IronMy hope is that Sharp Iron can be a friendly enough place that you would feel comfortable sharing your thoughts and opinions on a variety of topics. I am very interested in spirituality and how that affects every aspect of our lives. 
Articles
Three Way Tie for Sexiest Man Alive
2008-04-07 22:30:00 (with a beard and found drinking Rogue Dead Guy Ale on the second floor of a bar located in a renovated textile mill in central Maryland.) You can see more of their pictures displayed along side of Ric Booth’s prize winning article on the first annual East Coast Blogger’s Convention More About: Life , Alive , Sexiest Man Alive
Just Knock On The Door
2008-04-04 02:00:00 In the big city there is a cozy pub that caters to the international community. On the door these words are written: “EINGANG” “ENTREE” “ENTRADA” “INGANG” “ENTRATA” ” ????” “?? ” “ENTRANCE” Behind this door you will find a comfortable place, where people are enjoying each other’s company and there is plenty of ... More About: Door , Knock
An Apology to the Woman at the Well
2008-04-02 23:09:00 In an earlier post I talked about how Jesus displayed his propensity for mercy and inclusion when he met the woman at the well in John 4:1-42. At that time I was basing my remarks upon what is the current wisdom among many progressive Christians, that the Jewish culture of the time ... More About: Woman , Apology
Mommy, Do Jews Go To Heaven?
2008-04-01 19:30:00 Nice sign, huh? Spread the Good News. Anyway, we?ve been talking lately about whether or not Christians are in some way special in the eyes of God ? if one must be a Christian in order to be ?saved? from damnation or at least from missing out on heaven. Amy-Jill Levine, a Jewish scholar of ... More About: Heaven , Mommy , Jews
Re-Judaizing Jesus
2008-03-29 16:00:00 My daughter, Dorothy, informed me that a couple of weeks ago, Time/ABC World news did a TV special on “Ten Ideas that are Changing the World”, the tenth one being the ‘Re-Judaizing of Jesus .’ They quote a Jewish New Testament scholar, Amy-Jill Levine. I missed this program but coincidently I am now reading her ... More About: Religion , Christianity , Theology , God
The End of Haute Cuisine
2008-03-27 22:15:00 Alain is the chef at La Manière, one of the oldest and most prestigious dining establishments in town. Since the restaurant’s opening day his fare has been lauded as the only authentic continental cuisine being served in the region. People would come from miles around, having made reservations months in advance. In order to reserve a ... More About: Cuisine
10 Fundamental Questions about Christianity
2008-03-21 18:37:00 I just spent some time arguing certain tenets of faith with a self professed Christian Evangelical /Fundamental ist. I found his remarks to be fairly typical of most conservative Christians so I thought they might be worth discussing. I’ve generalized my questions to him in the hope for at least some sort of brevity. ... More About: Christianity , Questions
The Religious Voyeur
2008-03-15 16:18:00 Sam is a voyeur. He’s been one as long as he can remember. This is his story; In high school and college Sam was painfully aware that although he was attracted to pretty women, they were not attracted to him. He was not a member of the ‘in’ crowd. Over ... More About: Religion , Church , God , Gospel , Religious
Now We?ve Got Fourteen Deadly Sins?!
2008-03-12 20:48:00 Just when you think that maybe people are starting to get the point they go out and do THIS: THE seven deadly sins have grown to at least 14 after the Vatican updated its 1400-year-old list of the worst moral failures to reflect the modern world. The new deadly sins that may lead to eternal ... More About: Religion , Christianity , Jesus , God , Spirituality
The Weak and Ugly Jesus
2008-03-09 23:09:00 The most popular post I have ever written is “The Black Jesus ”“. On a daily basis I get over 10 times as many hits for that piece than any other. I have no illusions as to why - it has nothing to do with my writing or my thoughts, it’s just the title ... More About: Ugly
Ask Dr. Leviticus
2008-03-08 19:24:00 This letter is old news. But, since I’m always a day late and a dollar short, I just now discovered it. (Gary Wills reprints this letter in his book “What Jesus Meant”. ) Google suggests that it first appeared as a response to something that Dr. Laura Schlessinger said about homosexuality on ... More About: Leviticus
The Wild and Rebellious Christ
2008-03-04 20:54:00 I?m kind of fond of that pop-religious expression, ?What would Jesus do?? ? WWJD. I can?t remember all the times when, confronted with a moral dilemma, I asked myself that very question. And I can?t ever remember getting a wrong answer. Simplistic? Naive? You betcha, that?s me. But in ... More About: Wild , Christ
Christianity is Not a Religion
2008-03-01 10:52:00 I ran across this remark the other day and it hits the nail squarely on the head. Capon is an episcopal priest and cook. “Christianity is not a religion. Christianity is the proclamation of the end of religion, not of a new religion, or even of the best of all religions… If the cross is the ... More About: Religion , Jesus , God , Faith
The Wedding Scandal: Jesus Insults the Religious
2008-02-28 18:24:00 It?s always a treat when someone points out something new (at least for me) in scriptures. Bruxy Cavey, in his excellent book ?The End of Religion? talks about the scandal contained within the story of Jesus ? first miracle. This is something that had never occurred to me before. See if you can pick it ... More About: Christianity , Church , God , Spirituality
William F. Buckley Jr., R.I.P.
2008-02-27 21:49:00 It’s a sad, sad day. I don’t think any one person, aside from my father, has done more to help shape my political world view than William F. Buckley. I have been a subscriber to National Review for over 30 years, since I was a teenager, and still read every issue from cover ... More About: Spirituality , Biography , Current Events , Conservatism
American Vision
2008-02-26 22:42:00 “The most important thing a president needs to do is to make it clear that we’re not going to continue to see jobs shipped overseas, jobs that are lost by American workers, many in their 50s who, for 20 and 30 years, have worked to make a company rich, and then watch as a CEO ... More About: Vision
Indivisible
2008-02-26 01:55:00 In talking with some folks about the relevancy of the Pledge of Allegience, someone suggested that it is because our country is under God ’s protection that it is, in fact, indivisible. Apparently when this is not the case, when we have in some way offended God, then there is the likelihood of national dissolution. Which got me to thinking ... More About: Christianity , United States , History , Ethics
The Best Damn Food Store In America
2008-02-25 22:47:00 For some time now the trend has been for large national corporations to use their buying power to price their smaller competitors out business. Nothing particularly wrong about that, it is the result of a almost free market (these big fellas usually get sweet tax and zoning deals) and no one is crazy about paying more ... More About: America , Food , Store , Cuisine , Culinary Arts
The Possible Dream
2008-02-22 22:46:00 Many of you may have already seen this little video. I’m not a big fan of “American Idol” so I had never heard of Paul Potts . Boy, was everyone blown away when this was shown at my church last Sunday. It was in support of a series of talks entitled “Who Am I”. Turn ... More About: Faith , Dream
Quiet Testimony
2008-02-21 22:10:00 There is always some lively discussion going on over at God ’s Gal’s blog and recently she posted something about the Pledge of Allegience This got me to thinking about pledges, oaths and vows and how important they are, if at all. Hypothetically let’s say that: There are two men; One is openly patriotic, flies the flag, stands with ... More About: Religion , Christianity , Church , Culture
Christ?s Casting Call:Bit Players Wanted
2008-02-20 21:26:00 One of my favorite recordings is of Johnny Cash covering the Depeche Mode song “Personal Jesus ” (not real crazy about Marilyn Manson’s version). I’m not exactly sure what this song is about, but it reminds me of the often asked question; “Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior?”. Although firmly believing that a ... More About: Christianity , God , Players , Faith
Cuba Libre? Not Yet, But Getting Closer
2008-02-19 21:49:00 Hurrah! Fidel is stepping down. Bloody big of him, since he has been mostly out of the picture for nearly two years. But before we break out the party hats, his ‘little’ brother, septuagenarian Raul, is no Thomas Jefferson. It’s still all in the family where Cuba n dictators are concerned. I’m ... More About: Culture , Current Events , Cuba Libre , Castro
Amateur Night
2008-02-16 00:43:00 Last night was a big, big restaurant night. Across the nation (maybe even around the world?) restaurateurs looked forward to pulling in big receipts, as millions of couples celebrated amore in one of the most romantic of ways. But most of the restaurant people that I know couldn’t wait to get through this evening. ... More About: Night , Amateur
The Chauvinistic Church
2008-02-10 16:12:00 Look at how Jesus ’ female disciples were portrayed in the Gospels: One tenderly washes his feet with her tears and then dries them with her hair, an act of loving service that, according to Jesus, demonstrates her unique understanding of his message. Another breaks open an expensive jar of perfume and anoints him with it. ... More About: Religion , Christianity , Church , God
Full Metal Scripture
2008-02-07 22:46:00 There was a soft knocking at my front door. I opened it and there stood a man, leaning against the jam. His right hand clutched his left side. It was very late at night. ?You gotta help me, doc.? His voice was a raspy whisper. ?What is it? What?s the matter?? I asked. ?I?ve been hit. I think ... More About: Religion , Christianity , Humor , God , Metal
The Best of Times or the Worst of Times?
2008-02-05 01:00:00 I belong to a little book study with some of the members of my church. Right now we are moving (slowly) through Dallas Willard’s “Renovation of the Heart”. A very good book, but unlike most of the folks in my group, I don’t agree with everything Willard says. For example; While talking about spiritual ... More About: Spirituality , Times
Religious Racketeering: The Tithe
2008-02-03 00:34:00 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus ... More About: Christianity , Church , Jesus , Bible , Gospel
Anyone Seen the Joneses Lately?
2008-02-01 21:45:00 OK, maybe that’s an uncharitable remark, but I am not sure that this dreaded economic ‘down turn’ on the horizon is really such a bad thing. Seems like some of the most visible people feeling this crunch right now are some of our more ostentatious neighbors. Obviously energy costs have skyrocketed and of course, everyone is ... More About: Culture , Ethics , Home , Current Events
The Joy of Teaching
2008-01-31 21:55:00 One of my bosses shared this with us today. I wish I knew who came up with it. Then Jesus took his disciples up the mountain and, gathering them around him, he taught them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Blessed are the meek Blessed are they that mourn Blessed are the merciful Blessed are they ... More About: Spirituality , Teaching
Do You Believe That All Sins Are Equal? Really?
More articles from this author:2008-01-30 00:19:00 Being raised Catholic I grew up believing in a system in which there were two types of sins; mortal and venial. Mortal sins were the ones which, if left unconfessed, would result in eternal damnation. These included the heavy hitters like rape, murder, robbery, adultery and skipping church. The venial sins were the ones ... More About: Religion , Christianity , Jesus , God , Faith 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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