What will really change the heart of humanity? Fighting wars? No! Only Jesus. So what does trust in God look like when we are faced with strife in our world? Christians should be known as a people who pray deeply for and strive for peace. We should love our enemies. We should seek to shareContinue reading “When trusting in God is scary [Christians & War – Deuteronomy 20, part 5]”
Monthly Archives: January 2019
Should Christians take up arms? [Christians & War – Deuteronomy 20, part 4]
How should Christians view war? We are not the nation of ancient Israel which had a special covenant with God. We are the church, and we are under a new covenant. So from this passage in Deuteronomy, we can learn God’s heart, but we have to also take into consideration the new covenant we haveContinue reading “Should Christians take up arms? [Christians & War – Deuteronomy 20, part 4]”
My year without Facebook
On January 1, 2018, I deactivated my Facebook account. I had been an active Facebook user for about eight years, but I was starting a three-month sabbatical from pastoral ministry in my church, and I was concerned that the purposes of the sabbatical would be impeded if I spent time on social media. I alsoContinue reading “My year without Facebook”
The difficulties of holy war passages in the Old Testament [Christians & War – Deuteronomy 20, part 3]
In part 1 and part 2 of this series on Deuteronomy 20, we learned that Israel’s priests and army officers are to address the army before battle. Now God gives them some instructions about how to carry out battle. If you aren’t aware of these passages of Scripture, brace yourselves, as they can be shocking.Continue reading “The difficulties of holy war passages in the Old Testament [Christians & War – Deuteronomy 20, part 3]”
Soldiers in the garden? [Christians & War – Deuteronomy 20, part 2]
Soldiers are hardy, rugged fighters, right? They train to kill, learning not only weaponry, but also hand to hand combat. But what we will find out is that God has some surprising news for Israel’s officers. Some soldiers need to be in their gardens. In part 1 of this series, we read that right beforeContinue reading “Soldiers in the garden? [Christians & War – Deuteronomy 20, part 2]”
War & Peace [Christians & War – Deuteronomy 20, part 1]
As I was studying Deuteronomy 20 last week, I had songs going through my mind. War songs. Anti-war songs. It is interesting to me that there is in our culture an intersection of war and music. Then again, I suppose music touches all aspects of life. And, perhaps, so does war. I wanted to startContinue reading “War & Peace [Christians & War – Deuteronomy 20, part 1]”
Are you dressed and ready?
Why did you chose to wear the clothing you have on today? Clothing is often about form rather than function. We want to look good, look appropriate. But clothing is also about function. Do you wear a uniform for your job? Or perhaps your employer or hobby requires you to wear clothing that makes theContinue reading “Are you dressed and ready?”
A Christmas Surprise [Fourth Sunday of Advent]
Today we’re going to meet shepherds. But as I studied these passages, what emerged was something surprising, something unexpected! During Advent, we have been following the readings in the Lectionary, and our first passage is Micah 5:2-5a. Micah gives us in verse 2 a prophecy of a future ruler who would come to rule overContinue reading “A Christmas Surprise [Fourth Sunday of Advent]”
When holidays are depressing [Third Sunday of Advent]
Editor’s Note: I’m playing catch-up with blogging Faith Church’s sermons. My doctoral coursework, a heavy load grading online classes I teach, and the holidays landed simultaneously these past few weeks! So before we jump back to the Deuteronomy series, I’ll survey the last few weeks of Advent, belatedly, of course. On the Third Sunday ofContinue reading “When holidays are depressing [Third Sunday of Advent]”
Engaging Scripture 