Michael Vernon McEntire's Page

Scripture and history reveal that early Christians, like the Old Testament worshippers of YHVH, fasted a lot.  My experience is that twenty-first century Christians don't understand it.  They don't understand what letting yourself get hungry has to do with Salvation or spirituality.  The thing is, God has had a lot to say about fasting.  He has rewarded fasting with answered prayers and revelations.  He has acknowledged fasting as an acceptable form of penance.  He has also spoken out…

So, what does a monastic, an anchorite, do?  Most people would say, "They chant"; "They pray"; "They wear a habit"; "They make brandy."  While all of those things may be true (at least of some groups of cenobitic monks or nuns), probably the more important or revealing question is, "Why do they do those things?"  And the answer may be even more vague for Third Order monastics like myself.  We are usually called "Oblates."  The definition of that word answers the question.  Most literate…

I have read Job's Book several times.  The first few times were, perhaps not perfunctory, but at least with academic detachment.  I wanted to master the literary form and content of Job's Book so that I could answer test questions about it.  The first time I read it with real understanding, the God of Job scared me.  This is a God who strips away family members as if they were chatel.  I knew grief.  The incurable grief of losing a spouse, a child, to death, can be crushing.  I didn't want…

We are married to Christ!  Have you had your honeymoon with your your Beautiful Savior-Bridegroom, a period of time when you thought of nothing but Him?  If so, have you now returned to "business as usual"?  Unfortunately, my first honeymoon (many years ago) was in Disneyland which was a huge distraction, so my wife and I came home not knowing each other any better than we did before we were married.  I had a second honeymoon at a very nice resort hotel, but there was too much tennis,…