Matthew 23:8-12 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be yourContinue reading ““Call No Man Father””
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Do The Fires Make Us Stronger… or Just More Brittle?
It felt like I was taking blow after blow in a fight I didn’t really want but didn’t feel it was one from which I could run. As I was struck across the face with a right hook, it turned my head so that I saw a few friends in the crowd that had gathered.Continue reading “Do The Fires Make Us Stronger… or Just More Brittle?”
Mimicking the Fruit: The Church Is Not an Entrepreneurial Endeavor
Those who grew up in a Christian context, know about the “fruit of the Spirit:” 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control….” Galatians 5:22-23a The saving work of Christ should naturally result in a particular type of character: the character of Christ. It is not somethingContinue reading “Mimicking the Fruit: The Church Is Not an Entrepreneurial Endeavor”
We Have Lost Our Way
We have lost our way. I am not given to overstatement, so I reluctantly write these words, but I am growing in my conviction that the Church in America has badly lost sight of her purpose and values. This is not a question of theology per se. I believe it is a question of idolatry.Continue reading “We Have Lost Our Way”
Constructive Competition
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how canContinue reading “Constructive Competition”
God Has Purpose in Our Pain
One of the persisting questions I get as a pastor is the problem of pain and suffering. Heartbreak. Estrangement. Accidents. Natural disasters. Disease. Death. Why does God allow it? Does He not love us… love me? Is this suffering somehow my fault? One frequent answer is that God will use this pain somehow soon forContinue reading “God Has Purpose in Our Pain”
“How Long Will We Grovel at the Feet of … Power?”
A lifetime ago, I was steeped in the Contemporary Christian Music world and followed closely the output of Michael W. Smith. Late in my following of him, he put out the Go West, Young Man album and the song How Long Will Be Too Long? One of the first lines in the song is: “TellContinue reading ““How Long Will We Grovel at the Feet of … Power?””
A New Reformation?
More than 20 years ago, when I first entered ordained ministry as a campus minister, I was getting to know an experienced youth pastor at a large local church. I really liked him (and still do), but I remember an unguarded moment when he shared how he really felt about his church and the seniorContinue reading “A New Reformation?”
What the 2011 Cardinals Taught Me About Life
Do you sometimes feel like you are on the losing end of life? The load has been heavy during these past seven months: a struggling economy, racial tension and violence, the never-ending vitriol of politics. Need I mention the pandemic and the social restrictions associated with it? Things are stressful. Our bandwidth is stretched toContinue reading “What the 2011 Cardinals Taught Me About Life”
Concord Solutions 