Living in the midst of a pandemic has been difficult. Leading in the midst of a pandemic has been harder. Trying to stay on the focus of the mission God has for the church in the midst of a pandemic has been the hardest. The local church by definition is a gathering . . .…
DetailsAt the end of the day, the church needs no defense. We are not a self-justifying institution like a bowling alley, a shopping center, or a restaurant. Commercial institutions must justify themselves with sales. If they do not sell stuff (goods or services) then they have no reason to exist. But the church exists because…
DetailsThe title is meant for shock value. But as I consider the way that kids are more isolated now than ever, I am blogging about this list as a catharsis for some things I would do differently. I didn’t raise goblins. But I really think the following list would be a way to get there.…
DetailsI believe that American culture has become increasingly negative and fearful. Attempts to peer out into the future often result in prognostications of doom and gloom. And this blog is not meant to skip over the reality that bad things have happened and that bad things will happen. There is a type of sappy (nearly…
DetailsI subscribed to the RZIM podcast. I had the app on my phone. I have read a few books by Ravi Zacharias over the years. As a person who grew up with a significant bent toward “defending the faith,” Ravi was a large influence in my life. The findings of a recent report about the…
DetailsI absolutely loved the sciences when I was growing up. Whenever we went to the local library, I would head straight for the 500’s and always take home a stash of astronomy and biology books. I wasn’t so much interested in fiction. I loved learning about how things work. So it has taken quite a…
DetailsThe Happy Days Cafe is open again in Mattawan for indoor sipping. Rykse’s in Texas Corners is open for indoor dining. And as I sat here this morning enjoying my chorizo bowl, and meeting with someone new to ReCAST Church, I ran into 7 different people that stopped by my table to say “Hi!” There…
DetailsThis past week my grandmother was brought into the eternal presence of her King. And in a whirlwind of week, we had a memorial service for her last Thursday. She had asked me to speak at her memorial service a few years back and so I honored that request by saying the following. I share…
DetailsJust a couple of years after ReCAST Church was getting off the ground over a decade ago, I was asked to join a group of community leaders about starting a food pantry in Mattawan that would be a collaboration of local churches and businesses. There were some small disconnected groups that were each serving several…
DetailsThe church has been a stable influence on culture down through the ages. To be clear, the church has changed in traditions and in externals, but her mission has remained the same! We still proclaim a risen Lord. We still proclaim love for God and love for our neighbors as ourselves. We still gather together…
DetailsI have been wondering for months now why people do not just keep others more informed about their journey with COVID? Why do people who get COVID seem to go silent? Why do I not know more about the personal side of walking through the illness. And then I got it. I didn’t feel like…
DetailsI would like to officially declare 2020 the year of the question mark. It has been the year of unanswered questions. And even the year of very slow answers. The questions range from, “How does this virus spread?” to “Who will lead our nation into this next four years?” The questions have also been very…
Details
