There’s a lot of confusion out there about what it means to be a pastor. Pile up two thousand years of church history and add our distinctively American love for religious experimentation, and you will wind up with a vast array of different models, theories, and paradigms for pastoral ministry. Because I’ve only been a … Continue reading Not a Prophet, Priest, or King
The Bible
Three Kinds of Legalism
Nearly 500 years ago, a small-town professor accidentally ignited a controversy that would change Christianity forever. Martin Luther's academic critique of the sale of "indulgences" - the promise of forgiveness of sins in exchange for money - expanded to a wide-ranging disagreement about the authority of the Pope, the importance of ecclesiastical rituals, and the … Continue reading Three Kinds of Legalism
Hearing Jesus in the Psalms
Right in the middle of most English Bibles, there is a collection of one hundred and fifty ancient Hebrew songs. Filled with emotion, imagery, and devotion to the Lord, they are a masterpiece of poetic expression as well as a profound source of encouragement, comfort, and guidance for believers in the midst of the trials … Continue reading Hearing Jesus in the Psalms
Recognizing Almonzo
Every day, after the lunch dishes are cleared away and the baby and toddler are diapered and put down in their cribs, either my wife or I will sit down on the couch with our two older children for story time. Our kids love story time. For me and Rebecca, it's a joy to watch … Continue reading Recognizing Almonzo
Seasonal Family Devotional Bookmark
A couple of months ago, I posted a series of devotional readings for Advent and Christmastide, which walked through the highlights of the Old Testament and the Christmas narratives from the gospels. Then, just last week I shared a plan for reading through the Gospel of Mark throughout the season of Lent, supplemented by … Continue reading Seasonal Family Devotional Bookmark
Walking with Jesus: Devotional Readings for Lent and Eastertide
Update 2/5/2019 - I've also created a handy Bookmark that includes the reading plan for Lent and Eastertide as well as Advent and Christmastide. You can find it here On March 1st, many Christians around the world will begin observing the season of Lent, a period of forty days of preparation (not counting Sundays) leading … Continue reading Walking with Jesus: Devotional Readings for Lent and Eastertide
Making Sense of the Bible (including the weird parts)
You need the Bible. If you're a parent, your children need the Bible too. I've written before about the importance of personal and family devotions. But let's be honest: the Bible can sometimes be hard to understand. I mean, if you stick to easier parts (most of the New Testament), it's not so bad. But … Continue reading Making Sense of the Bible (including the weird parts)
The Sight is Glorious
Today is one of my favorite days of the year. No, I don't mean Cinco de Mayo, important as the Battle of Puebla was in North American history. Today, with people around the world, I am celebrating a far greater triumph. Today - forty days after Easter Sunday - is the Feast of the Ascension … Continue reading The Sight is Glorious
A City that Has Foundations
A few weeks ago, our family was rocked by the news that we had sixty days to find a new place to live. Our home is special to us. It's kind of like the Old Granville House in It's a Wonderful Life; it's not necessarily in the best of shape - the windows are drafty, … Continue reading A City that Has Foundations
Star Wars and Seeds of Doubt
A few weeks ago, before the rolling yellow opening credits of the latest Star Wars movie appeared in theaters across the land, the crazy theories began to fill my Facebook newsfeed. I'm not just talking about theories about Episode VII. Before the movie came out, those were pretty much all just speculation, and could have … Continue reading Star Wars and Seeds of Doubt
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