Category Archives: James R. Coggins

A Nose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet by James R. Coggins

Do you ever have one of those nights when your body craves sleep but your mind won’t cooperate? The solution is to distract your mind. Don’t let it wander toward topics that are troubling or stimulating. As a writer, I … Continue reading

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Molek by James R. Coggins

Second in a series In the Ten Commandments, God (who identified Himself as Yahweh or “I am”) commanded the Israelites not to worship any gods but Him. Yet the Israelites were tempted to worship the gods of the peoples around … Continue reading

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Intelligent and Christian by James R. Coggins 

Last November, John G. Stackhouse, Jr. posted a blog titled “Why Mere Christianity Should Have Bombed.”  The title is deliberately provocative. Mere Christianity by British scholar C.S. Lewis was published over 60 years ago and has been one of the … Continue reading

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No Other Gods by James R. Coggins

First in a series In the modern world, we laugh at primitive peoples who worship idols, who bow down to images of bulls and crocodiles and serpents, who revere the stars and the sun, who seek guidance through tea leaves … Continue reading

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A Sign of the Times by James R. Coggins

A few days ago, I went to the store to buy some envelopes. Nothing special. Just four and an eighth-inch by nine and a quarter-inch, white envelopes. The kind we used to use to send bill payments and official and … Continue reading

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One Father by James R. Coggins

In Mark 3:20-35, when Jesus’ “mother and brothers” came to see Him, Jesus apparently refused to see them. In speaking to the crowd in Mark 3:34, Jesus said that His mother and brothers are those who do God’s will. In … Continue reading

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Who, What and How? by James R. Coggins

Who are Frank Epperson and Harry Burt, what did they each invent, and how did it have a direct impact on my life? In 1905 in Oakland, California, an 11-year-old boy named Frank Epperson was on his front porch stirring … Continue reading

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Jesus and His Family by James R. Coggins

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, His earthly family, His mother and brothers, did not accept Him as the Messiah. At one point, they even thought He was insane and tried to take Him into care (Mark 3:21). But this does not … Continue reading

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The Singer and the Song by James R. Coggins

What is the connection between singers and the songs they sing? Phrased another way, do singers take responsibility for the songs they sing? What I have in mind is the singers who sing songs with messages such as these: • … Continue reading

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Jesus and Mary by James R. Coggins

There is a famous statue (called Pieta) by Michelangelo of Jesus’ mother Mary cradling the body of Jesus after the crucifixion. It is one of a number of medieval and Renaissance pieces of art reflecting the same theme. However, it … Continue reading

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Recycling by James R. Coggins

Municipalities have strange rules. Many municipalities have banned grocery stores from giving out free one-use plastic bags for customers to carry groceries home in. Municipalities have not banned one-use plastic bags containing produce or prepackaged foods from the same stores. … Continue reading

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Jesus’ Mother and Brothers by James R. Coggins

Mark 3:21 reports a strange thing in the life of Jesus: “When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’” When they heard about what? There are … Continue reading

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The Importance of White Space by James R. Coggins

In my many years in publishing (books and magazines), one of the first lessons I learned was the importance of white space. White space is the space on a page where there is no print (and no illustrations). An environmentalist … Continue reading

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The Place of Apostles by James R. Coggins

The Gospel of Mark reports that “Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted…He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority … Continue reading

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An Honest Look at Life in the Church by James R. Coggins

I will start at the rather ordinary beginning and assure you that the more extraordinary matter later on is worth waiting for. I first met Dawn Miller by mail many years ago. I was an editor with a church denominational … Continue reading

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