Yancey Archives | Philip Yancey

The Day I Met Gorbachev

Philip Yancey — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 10:09:28 +0000

I grew up during the Cold War, an era dominated by the two superpowers, the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Then in 1989 came one of those history-changing days that no one had predicted. Guards at the Berlin Wall, trained to kill anyone attempting to escape, instead opened the gates to freedom, and the hated ... Read more

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Why I Believe

Philip Yancey — Sat, 22 Jun 2019 11:01:53 +0000

Early in his pilgrimage, the literary monk Thomas Merton wrote, “Very soon we get to the point where we simply say, ‘I believe’ or ‘I refuse to believe.’” Faith runs hot and cold over time, offering up reasons both to believe and disbelieve. It did not surprise Jesus in the least that some would disbelieve ... Read more

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Unexpected Guest

Philip Yancey — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 06:24:25 +0000

Sitting on the platform as a visiting speaker, I feel as if I have entered a time warp from the late 1950s. I look out on a church sanctuary packed with people dressed in their Sunday finest. These days, pastors where I live in Colorado tend to wear jeans and untucked shirts; here, in a ... Read more

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Fatherless

Philip Yancey — Sun, 18 Jun 2017 05:16:22 +0000

I never thought it strange, not having a father. I was barely a year old when my father died, so I didn’t miss him. How could I? I never knew him. In elementary school some kids didn’t know better than to ask, “How’d he die?” and when I told them polio, my status went up. ... Read more

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Word Power

Philip Yancey — Thu, 28 May 2015 15:54:00 +0000

As a child I would hear my mother and other adults use a secret code in my presence: for example, “I think we’ll stop for some i-c-e-c-r-e-a-m for the boys.” Again and again I heard that code: strange word gaps in a sentence replaced by short nonsense sounds that somehow made sense when linked together—made sense ... Read more

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Small is Large

Philip Yancey — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 19:13:51 +0000

I visited a local megachurch recently. My friend described it as, “You know, one of those big-box churches with one-word names, super-loud music, huge video screens, and long sermons.” Currently, 1300 U.S. congregations qualify as megachurches, averaging more than 2000 in weekly attendance. The one I visited has more parking-lot volunteers than my church has members. ... Read more

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