fbpx
Categories
Bible Insights

Do You Worship Work?

Consider Your Sacrifices Do you worship your work? Of course we would say “no.” But consider that what we make sacrifices for is that which is important to us. If so, then perhaps we are at risk of worshiping our work. In doing so, might it be that we’ve elevated our vocation to the status […]

Categories
Bible Insights

Is It One Woman Who Anoints Jesus or Four Different Women?

The Four Gospels Each Have a Story of a Woman Who Worships Jesus Each of the four accounts of Jesus’s life—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—give a story about a woman who anoints Jesus with expensive perfume, but the details in each report vary. It may be that this happens on four separate occasions. Or it […]

Categories
Visiting Churches

Church 53: Home for Holy Week

Our journey is over. I’m sad and excited at the same time. Our spiritual sojourn of fifty-two churches has ended. Reunion with our home church, church 53, community looms large. Today is Good Friday and our Easter celebration will be in two days, but I can’t wait for Sunday. I desire a preview, a reminder […]

Categories
Christian Living

Stay Home to Go to Church

Ideas for Having a House Church Over the years there have been times when I couldn’t go to church. I’m not talking about the Sundays I was ill or traveling. Instead, I’m referring to times when the church canceled its service. These have included weather-related problems, power outages, no heat, and construction issues. Each of […]

Categories
Bible Insights

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty

Celebrate the Holiness of God The prophet Isaiah has a dream, a vision. He sees into heaven. God sits on his throne over the temple. Six-winged angels, seraphim, hover above him. They sing out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty. Earth fills with his glory.” As their voices ring out, the temple shakes and […]

Categories
Bible Insights

Are Seraphim the Same as Angels?

Embrace Seraphim As Celestial Beings Quick, are seraphim angels? Until recently I would have said “yes” without hesitation. That’s what I was taught. However, after researching for the post Holy, Holy, Holy, I’ve reached a different conclusion. First, the dictionary says seraphim are “celestial beings.” Celestial implies heaven or the divine (God). I equate celestial […]

Categories
Christian Living

Do You Arrive at Church Early, On Time, or Late?

When we arrive at church portrays something about us. More importantly it reveals much about the importance we place on God and worshipping him. Aside from conditioned and cultural predispositions towards punctuality, we also have personal circumstances that can interfere with our best intentions. Having a baby, small children, or many children can all impede […]

Categories
Visiting Churches

More Youthful Worship (Visiting Church #27)

We arrive at church about ten minutes early, and after milling about for a while, we sit down. A mostly youthful praise team assembles on the stage to worship God, which is a mere eight inches high; the low ceiling allows for little more. In addition to three who play guitar, there’s one on bass, […]

Categories
Visiting Churches

A Time of Pure Worship (Visiting Church #24)

The church we visited on Sunday is a mostly older congregation. The worship team, however, is comprised of teens. What a pleasant surprise. Three play guitars, with one on percussion. Offstage is a pianist, the church’s worship leader and the only non-teen of the ensemble. There are several vocalists, with two who sing and play. […]

Categories
Christian Living

The Significance of Synagogues

Discover the Origin of Having a Local Place of Worship Another interesting word that occurs only in the New Testament is synagogues. Appearing sixty-six times, it’s in all four gospels, a lot in the book of Acts, and twice in Revelation. That’s it. Notably the word synagogue does not appear in the Old Testament. Where […]