Invisible Six Days a Week and Incomprehensible on the Seventh
August 18, 2022
I am a reluctant follower. My past experience and upbringing without a father, quite distant mother, and way too much freedom has made it hard for me to overcome a radical independence. And I have a nearly lethal measure of confidence. (Remember that pride is a sin and sin leads to death…) Eugene Peterson has…
I think I have noticed a trend. Maybe it’s just in my local context, which I can speak to quite well. But I imagine that what I am experiencing is likely happening in the broader context of other churches as well. First of all, I think many people cannot define what a pastor exists to…
Can we assume that Eve was the first woman? She was certainly the first female. But is the word “woman” merely reserved for a gendered cultural expression that can only be defined based on social constructs? I assume that cultural expressions were quite limited being that just her and Adam existed AND that the fashion…
I am preaching the very difficult passage of 2 Samuel 11 this week. David and Bathsheba is a super shocking passage in context. Everything is going great in David’s life and then *WHAM* he’s raping one of his soldier’s wives and murdering her husband as a cover up! And the text is starkly unemotional about…
I have never been a huge fan of a major distinction between clergy and laity, pastor and parishioner, shepherd and sheep. There are certainly responsibilities I have by virtue of my occupation. And I certainly believe that I will give a certain type of higher accounting for my calling before God as a teacher and…
I have baptism on my mind, because we will be having a baptism service on Sunday immediately following our 10:30 service. I love baptisms! I love what they mean for the body of believers. We get the privilege of hearing about the way that God brought a person to faith and trust in Jesus Christ.…
This week, I am preaching in the lament of David over the fallen King Saul and his son, Jonathan. David and Jonathan were best friends! They were brought together at a tough time in the history of their nation. David was a young shepherd taking care of his father’s flocks, while Jonathan was the crown…
I like to give a recap of my reading for the year. I keep a document that I update with books I finish, and it is fun to go back through the list at the end of every year and be reminded of where I have been. This exercise may be only for my benefit,…
Father, would you send Jesus today? We need him real bad. Our children tremble in fear. Please hasten the day, when the shooting stops. Father, would you bring the light to bare today? The darkness is thick. Terror roams the halls. Please hasten the day, when the shooting stops. Father, would you wake…
The Blessing of a Godly Wife (Or Choking Up Reading the Song of Songs)
November 4, 2021
None of this blog is manufactured for show. Certainly there is pressure on a pastor and his wife to have an ‘exemplary’ marriage. We are not perfect. And we have our share of spats and squabbles. I am selfish a mile deep . . . But it is better than the ten mile standard when…
Over the years, I have been asked by people to give my five year and ten year plan for the church. This has never really sat well with me. The question honestly is a bit confusing to me for two particular reasons. First, I am unsure if they are asking out of concern for the…
I am rereading the book, ‘The Pastor’ by Eugene Peterson. The book serves as his memoirs and for some reason has spoken so deeply to my soul that I have read it or listened to it more than five times in the past few years. I am currently working through it slowly with our associate…
