Blazing a Way

Nehemiah 9:1-31 “It’s not our fault!” That is proclaimed so much by so many about slavery, racism, poverty, etcetera…and they’re right. Yet, here we have the example of the Jews. It was the fault of their ancestors. However, their ancestors were dead. All things new Often, you cannot figure out the right way without figuring… Continue reading Blazing a Way

Veiling Mystery

Psalm 111; Isaiah 25:6–10a; Mark 6:35–44 The veil has long existed as a physical reminder of mystery. The truly veiled bride becomes a mystery (again) as she walks down the aisle toward an anxious and waiting groom. Modern weddings have pretty much eschewed the bridal veil. The bride may have a nominal veil, but it… Continue reading Veiling Mystery

Be Our Guest

Psalm 111; Exodus 24:1–11; Romans 15:22–33 If you were invited to a US presidential affair, you might be surprised. Unless you roam such circles or are connected to them, usually you won’t have any expectation of being invited to sit at the table with the president, unless, of course, you decide to contribute to their… Continue reading Be Our Guest

Your Contentment

Psalm 111; Genesis 18:1–15; Philippians 4:10–20 One of the harder things about being a Christian is that God often doesn’t give our heart’s desires. We describe God as good, loving, giving, and many other positive traits. Yet, the giving (or lack thereof) often gets in the way of our understanding of God’s goodness, loving, and… Continue reading Your Contentment

Laying The Bread Down

Psalm 145:10–18; 2 Kings 4:42–44; Ephesians 3:14–21; John 6:1–21 It is tempting to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We can look at society and even many churches (in particular, their leaders), and just give up. There is such a struggle against the darkness and against sin, that it can be overwhelming. At the… Continue reading Laying The Bread Down

Cost of Community

Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31‭-‬32 NRSV We often look to Paul’s letters for our theology. This particular verse is about our praxis. It… Continue reading Cost of Community

Public Privacy

It’s not that I have something to hide; I just have nothing I want you to see. The Girl (played by Amanda Seyfried) in the movie Anon Privacy is a nebulous topic. The so-called Constitutional “privacy” of the United States is far more fluid than most people will acknowledge. In fact, based upon recent cultural… Continue reading Public Privacy

167 Hours Remain

If I’m talking for an hour a week, and they’re feeding their souls with something else 15 hours a week,” Bezner said, “I simply can’t win.” A pastor’s life depends on a coronavirus vaccine. Now he faces skeptics in his church. Sarah Pulliam Bailey, Washington Post. Dec. 11, 2020 (web). One of the reality checks… Continue reading 167 Hours Remain

Building Delusion

Has our definition of ministry become so focused on the building that we can’t change lives outside of it? Nona Jones, From Social Media to Social Ministry Noah Jones is concerned that the church is overly focused on the plane. And everything it does , is concerned with building. I think she is correct in… Continue reading Building Delusion