Front Porch Theology

  Chiastic Structure How discovering an ancient literary structure changed the way I read the Unspoken Sermons.   MacDonald was overwhelming. I loved reading George MacDonald, but there was something that puzzled me. His sermons were overwhelming. He would move from one story to another, from one image to the next, and I sometimes found myself wondering, “ Where is he going?”  I never doubted there was a plan. I simply couldn't always see it. Then one evening I learned to read him differently.   Baxter Changed Everything As it is with many truths discovered along my journey, Baxter Kruger was once again the source. During one of our Tuesday evening discussion groups, Baxter decided to spend several weeks exploring what most people simply pass over—the Prologue of John's Gospel . Instead of reading John 1:1–18 verse by verse, he laid it out in what is called a chiastic structure. As he worked through the passage, he pointed out how the reference...

  Zeke the Butterfly When my oldest daughter, Lauren, was small, we discovered a little children's book about Zeke the butterfly. It spoke so deeply to me that I began carrying it into the jails and prisons I visited. I have no idea how many times I read it—or how many sermons grew out of its simple message for the men I met there. Today, after all these years, it remains one of the few children's books we have kept. Now, decades later, I find myself returning to Zeke once again. His message seems even more beautiful and more meaningful than it did then. The words are those of author Robert O'Rourke. The simple illustrations are mine. I hope you enjoy them both. What God Did for Zeke the Fuzzy Caterpillar... As you can see, this is not your typical "Born Again" story. It is a simple story of transformation—a journey from takers to givers, planned long ago in the heart of God. It is the story of our becoming who we were always created to be, as the Spirit...

  "Life in a bag." Finding the Box Top Puzzle Pieces Perhaps your family was like mine and worked jigsaw puzzles during the Christmas holidays. Ours always seemed to be a thousand-piece puzzle spread across a card table in the corner of the room. We would dump the pieces onto the table and let the fun begin. Conversations flowed, stories were shared, and life happened as we searched for the picture slowly emerging from the chaos. The first task was always turning every piece face up. I have to confess—I always cheated. I looked for the border pieces first. Straight edges were much easier to find than half of a skater's face. Once the border was complete, we began searching for the recognizable parts of the picture, each piece bringing the image into clearer focus. The Missing Box Top There was, however, one piece of the puzzle that was more important than all the others—the box top. Can you imagine trying to complete a thousand-piece puzzle without ever seeing...

  Child in the Mist First Series – Sermon One Original by George MacDonald Paraphrase by Dale R. Howie "Childlikeness is the Divine."   The Child in the Mist is the doorway to George MacDonald's Unspoken Sermons . It is not merely the first sermon in the collection; it is the foundation upon which the other thirty-five are built. Rather than beginning with doctrines or theological systems, MacDonald begins with a child. Through that simple image he gradually clears the mist that obscures our vision of God, ourselves, and His Kingdom.   The title describes every one of us. We are children living in the mist. The mist is not our identity but our perception. We have forgotten who our Father is and, therefore, who we are. Throughout this sermon MacDonald patiently removes that mist, revealing the Father's character and inviting us into the life that has always been ours.   One of the first things modern readers discover is that MacDonald writes differently than we think...