Tagged: neurotheology

The Lord bless you and protect you; the Lord make his face (pāneh) to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance (pāneh) upon you and give you peace.  Numbers 6:24-26 The Hebrew word pāneh is the word for face and countenance. Its meaning includes appearance, presence, to be shown honor, to be under direction, to be under blessing, to be under supervision, watched, favored, to be given audience.  One small word with so much meaning for the people of God. The New Oxford American Dictionary (2021) defines countenance this way: (v) to admit as acceptable or possible (n) a person’s face or facial expression (n) support The rich words of Numbers 6 describe the outcome of the atonement for every person who… Read More

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!  Philippians 4:4 When I can’t feel my feelings, even in times that should evoke joy, it might be a sign of something deeper going on. Paul can repeat his command two or twenty times, and it won’t get through to a brain that has been anesthetized by pain and sorrow. In long seasons of endurance and suffering, we shut down our emotions to survive. The amygdala, that tiny yet mighty bundle of nuclei deep in the brain, is no favoritist. In times of trauma, all feelings power down—not just the difficult ones, but the happy ones too. A physiological mercy, this enables us to press on through crushing circumstances. But once better days come, when danger… Read More