Rev. Dr. Phil Booe

Imagine taking your great-grandmother's famous cake recipe, you know which one: the one she was known for, the one everyone demands you bring to every family gathering. But as you read through it, you notice ingredients that seem problematic. Your sister-in-law is vegan now, so the butter has to go. Uncle Joe's doctor has him on a gluten-free diet. And cousin Sally swore off sugar two years ago…

Traditionally, pastors could count on seeing a few faces on Christmas and Easter that didn’t show up much the rest of the year. These are the so-called “Christmas and Easter Christians.” Like many pastors, I was of two minds about it. On the one hand, I would rejoice that they came to hear God’s Word and receive His gifts. On the other hand, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that I wouldn’t…

Imagine a book that is at once beautifully bound and yet deadly to hold? Such a book would be quite the epitome and symbol of deadly knowledge, wouldn’t it? Like a cursed object one might encounter in a fantasy novel. But this isn’t fiction, it’s real and there isn’t only one. Thousands of such books, bound with vibrant green covers, were produced in the 19th century. Their unique and tantalizing…

The mythical King Arthur was known as the “Once and Future King.” T.H. White, in his book by the same name, described a prophecy that Arthur would return when Britain needed him most. The legend of King Arthur seems to reappear quadrennially in American politics. Every four years each political faction seeks to persuade us that their candidate alone is the savior we need to rescue society from…

Family is one of God's first and greatest gifts. From the beginning, God created the family as the foundation of human society. He gave us husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, and brothers and sisters. In the family we find love, support and a sense of belonging. It is within the family that we first experience unconditional love and learn to love others in return. The family is a…

What does your church teach about the Bible? Do your pastors uphold all of Scripture as God’s true Word, or do they dismiss parts they find outdated or uncomfortable? Have you been told that certain passages no longer matter because the “times have changed?” Are your teachers more interested in aligning themselves with a particular political party and special interest groups than being faithful…