Pursuing a holistic expression of Christian faith that is true to the Bible and applicable for today’s world.
Acknowledge What Jesus Did A phrase I’ve heard often in church over the years is “celebrate communion.” Yet what I witness seems nothing like a celebration. Instead, it is the most somber, solemn of affairs. It feels even more crushing than a funeral. Wait, communion is a funeral of sorts: Jesus’ funeral. Yes, communion commemorates […]
Does it Really Matter What Time it Is? When I was young, my grandmother promised to buy me a watch when I learned to tell time. With Mom’s help, I did learn, but I wasn’t fast. Not content to give approximate times, I’d carefully count the dots between the major divisions and announce the exact […]
Pursue Christian Community As a child, my parents told me we went to church to learn about God. The sermon was when I learned about God, so I assumed the rest of the service was unnecessary. I deemed everything outside the message as obligatory filler and tuned it out, waiting for the main event. According […]
Let’s All Get Along Why can’t we all get along? Living in peace and harmony are lofty goals that most everyone agrees with. Aside from wacko militants, no one says, “I want to live in constant conflict with my neighbor and quarrel with those around me.” No one seeks to start a fight with others, […]
Be Careful of the Word You Sing The song said, “We lift up our hands.” Except for my wife, no one else in the church service moved, not even me. It seemed disingenuous to only raise my hands when the song told me to. Shouldn’t I have already been doing that? We all sang the […]
It’s the People, Not the Place that Matters When visiting a church with family, the minister prayed, “God you know we need a new church building.” I recoiled at his claim. They don’t need a new building; they merely want one. There’s a difference between needs and wants, something we must distinguish. What this church […]
Celebrate Your Teachers Who Impacted Your Life As kids and college students head back to school this fall, I recall many of the teachers who worked hard to educate me. I learned something useful from every one of them, even the few who probably shouldn’t have been teaching any more. Most, however, were amazing teachers, […]
Do You Worship God on Sunday or All the Time? What is it to worship God? Ask different people and receive different answers. To worship God is to: These are all facets of worship, but there’s more. Worship is as much attitude as action. To worship God is also to love him and be devoted […]
These Characteristics of Pharisee Thinking Jesus loves everyone. He accepts those on the fringe, the people who society dismiss. Jesus embraces people who do wrong and who live immoral lives. Yet there was one group he criticized, and he did so often: the Pharisees. Don’t be a Pharisee. Aren’t we glad we’re not Pharisees? We […]
Dressing Up for Church Versus Going Casual Some people dress up for church to honor God by wearing their Sunday best. Others dress up to impress people. I, however, dress casually, sometimes to an extreme. This isn’t because I’m lazy or rebellious. This is my way to honor God and advance his kingdom. One Sunday […]