With hundreds of people milling about, it’s a packed place. Just inside the door, a man approaches. “Have I met you before?” We assure him he hasn’t but he thinks he should know us anyway. He’s wearing an ear mic. I wonder if he’s the pastor, but if he is, he doesn’t say so, merely […]
As people drift in, excitement mounts. Anticipation surrounds us. The church seats about 150, with perhaps seventy present, although their milling about makes it seem fuller. Most of the men wear coats and ties, with most women in dresses. All age groups are present. A choir opens the service, singing with enthusiasm. We sing old-time […]
The Kingdom of God Is About Power, Not Words When Paul writes to his friends in the city of Corinth, he encourages them to change their behavior. In the middle of this, he slips in a curious line about the kingdom of God. He says that God’s kingdom isn’t about talk but about power (1 […]
The Bible Offers Little Support for a Minister to Preach a Sermon to Us at Church Many changes occurred in church practices because of the Protestant Reformation some 500 years ago. One of those changes adjusted the emphasis of the Sunday service. The reformers had concern over the focus of Sunday gatherings being on the […]
Can You Have a Church Service Without Hearing a Preacher Speak? My wife and I recently visited a church. Though we didn’t know it before we walked in, their service would be different that week. There was no sermon. The church used the normal sermon time to talk about the missionaries their church supported. They […]
Don’t Work to Earn Your Salvation Now, back to my original thought from last week: The teaching pastor at the church I attend is good at what he does. He communicates effectively, digs deep into the biblical text, and provides new information. He prepares well, and it shows. His passage was Philippians 2:12-13 where Paul […]
I’ve heard several thousand sermons in my life. I can remember parts from about six of them. Not the whole thing, just parts. Seldom does the recollection of one message even make it to the next Sunday. More likely I’ve forgotten it by the time I make it home—or even to the parking lot. That’s […]
Last Sunday I only made it halfway through the church service. I completely missed the sermon—and it was the best church experience I’ve had in a long, long time. That’s not to imply I didn’t like the speaker (I do) or that his words lacked substance (my bride gave me a recap, so I know […]
For the past 19 weeks, my bride and I have been visiting different churches to expand our understanding of how others worship and understand God. We call this initiative “52 Churches” and I blog about the experience each Monday morning. However, friends frequently ask for more: “What are you learning,” “Is your journey changing,” or […]