Ephesians 1:3–14, Part 1 Here’s some insider pastoral info for you: when we counsel the family of the deceased, and when we officiate their funerals, we pastors sometimes straight up lie, talking about how great they were and how for sure they are in heaven. In reality pastors do not know that for a fact,Continue reading “A surprising eulogy for God”
Monthly Archives: January 2026
It was 57 degrees in our house, and I was…
Ephesians 1:3–14, Preview As I type this, I’m sitting on the sofa in my living room. It’s 11:30am Friday morning. Why am I not sitting in my office? Normally I would be. I’m at home because this morning we woke up to the feeling of cold air inside our house. Nothing was wrong. Last nightContinue reading “It was 57 degrees in our house, and I was…”
A profoundly important description of church
Ephesians intro, part 5 A close friend from church and I work out on Tuesday and Thursday mornings with another guy. Recently that other guy, who is not part of our church, told us that he was reading the Bible over the weekend and thought the passage he was reading sounded like our church. I perkedContinue reading “A profoundly important description of church”
When mail arrived, they threw a party
Ephesians intro, part 4 We are so used to snail mail being a mundane affair. Mostly we get junk mail anymore. If it even hints of being junk, I usually just toss it straight into the garbage. Our meaningful communication in 2026 is now pretty much all online, accessible through our devices. The reality ofContinue reading “When mail arrived, they threw a party”
The healing energy of grace
Ephesians intro, Part 3 Paul’s greeting in his letter titled “Ephesians” uses two words that he starts 13 of 13 letters with. These are two exceedingly important concepts for Christians. We read the two words of this greeting in Ephesians 1, verse 2. “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the LordContinue reading “The healing energy of grace”
Is “Ephesians” possibly an incorrect title for the New Testament epistle traditionally titled “Ephesians”?
Ephesians intro, Part 2 Paul says he is writing to Christians “in Ephesus.” Ephesus was the second largest city in the Roman Empire, behind Rome. Ephesus was in a part of the Roman Empire known as Asia Minor, modern day Turkey. Want to take a tour of the city of Ephesus? You can do soContinue reading “Is “Ephesians” possibly an incorrect title for the New Testament epistle traditionally titled “Ephesians”?”
The church is a model
Ephesians intro, Part 1 In my previous post, I talked about the joy of Legos. The imagination, the seeking, the finding, the designing, the building. Using persistent creativity to make models. I’m starting a blog series through the New Testament epistle titled “Ephesians,” which scholar N. T. Wright says is about the church as aContinue reading “The church is a model”
Models that actually work
Ephesians Intro, Preview That picture above is from the lobby at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, where my granddaughter was treated for her heart condition. It is a Lego model of the hospital. Perfect idea for a children’s hospital, right? Yet, how many adults build Lego models? Many! I enjoyed building with Legos as aContinue reading “Models that actually work”
Why Jesus said the heart matters
Vertical & Horizontal Morality and the mission of the church, Part 5 In Matthew 15, Jesus is being bold, confronting the religious elite, basically not only telling them off, but also telling the people in the crowd how wrong the religious leaders were. That makes the disciples nervous, and rightly so, because those religious leadersContinue reading “Why Jesus said the heart matters”
Sinus infections, hand-washing, bamboo, and what really matters to Jesus
Vertical & Horizontal Morality and the mission of the church, Part 4 As I type this, I have a sinus infection. I get one just about every year. This past June, I even had a rare summer sinus infection. Outside in direct sunlight, I was shaking with fever chills. Yesterday at a doctor appointment, IContinue reading “Sinus infections, hand-washing, bamboo, and what really matters to Jesus”
Engaging Scripture 