Pursuing a holistic expression of Christian faith that is true to the Bible and applicable for today’s world.
Most churches in the United States structure themselves around the nuclear family. The mindset of these churches assumes married couples; their programming assumes children. While covering the majority of attendees in most congregations, this ignores several overlooked groups. First, there are childless couples. Some are childless by circumstance. Each time there’s a plea to serve […]
Fold Hands, Close Eyes, and Bow Head I’ve blogged about the use and meaning of amen, and shared how amen is used in the Bible: primarily as a way to end a prayer. Three more prayer conventions perplex me as well. The first is to fold our hands while praying, the second is to close […]
When I think about it, the word “amen” perplexes me. Out of training and convention, I say “amen” at the end of a prayer, as if it means “Goodbye, God” or “I’m done, now.” Not only does saying amen tell God my prayer is over, it also lets others know to open their eyes. It’s […]
Sometimes words and phrases evoke emotions in people beyond what they mean. A friend recently blogged about how the word “worship” has a negative meaning for her. Although understanding what she meant—and empathizing a bit—I didn’t think too much more about her post until a while later when I recalled my own issues with the […]
Should Churches Pursue Excellence in All Things? A phrase I hear from time to time at churches is pursuing excellence in all things. Other churches don’t speak this directly, but they do understand it. One reason for this may be pure, to give God our best. Or the motive may be practical, to provide a […]
Last month I wrote about our grandpuppy Zane, our daughter and son-in-law’s eight-pound bundle of delight. Zane, however, is not our only grandpuppy. Our son and his wife, also have a dog, Maximus Decimus Meridius. Max for short. Max is our first grandpuppy, a beautiful Husky. At three years old, he’s actually no longer a […]
Today in the United States, a three day holiday weekend (for Labor Day on Monday) effectively marks the end of summer. As I anticipate going to church, I know I’ll see fewer people there. I’m bothered over the low attendance. And I’m bothered that it bothers me. Growing up, only two things kept me from […]
Are We the Same or Different? I’m so excited to guest post on a friend’s blog—and I hope you’ll find it worth your time to read it! (To make it easier, I’ll try to keep things short.) It won’t take long for you to notice that my writing style is different from Grace’s. She writes […]
It’s a shocking stat, but there are 42,000 Christian denominations in the world! Yes, the church that Jesus started is currently divided into 42,000 factions. Notice I didn’t say Jesus’ churches (plural), but Jesus’ church (singular). How do I know Jesus intended there to be only one church? Quite simply because he prayed we would […]
When at a business convention, I once spouted off a grand sounding idea, but it was really a bad suggestion that warranted immediate rejection. Yet I proclaimed it with passion and the air of authority (I had just finished speaking on the subject, and this new added thought added to the discussion). I presented my […]