Years ago I had a summer book club at Faith Church, and one of books we read was Jim & Casper Go To Church. It is written by a Christian, Jim Henderson, and an atheist, Matt Casper. Jim invited Matt to travel around the country and attend worship services in churches of all shapes andContinue reading “What kind of worship does God really want?”
Tag Archives: church
Advice to a new young pastor (and what all of us can learn from it)
On July 1, 2008 I became the senior pastor of Faith Church. I was scared. What had I gotten myself into? I had been youth/associate pastor at the church for the previous six years. The youth group was awesome, and I had a ministry umbrella over me, deflecting the rain of difficulty, responsibility, and leadership.Continue reading “Advice to a new young pastor (and what all of us can learn from it)”
Why I’m preaching 3 different sermons about modesty…at the same time…kinda…
Tomorrow I’m preaching 3 different sermons on modesty…at the same time. Kinda. Obviously, I can’t speak three sermon simultaneously, unless I recorded them separately and played them all at the same time. Or maybe I could record two, playing them at the same time as I preach the third. Imagine the cacophony. Instead, I’m planningContinue reading “Why I’m preaching 3 different sermons about modesty…at the same time…kinda…”
What if Christianity’s massive investment in worship is wrong?
Is it possible that Christianity’s massive investment in worship is misguided? Think about it. We invest a lot of time, money and energy into worship, don’t we? One morning or evening each week is devoted to it. Our society is very much oriented toward a weekly schedule that keeps Sunday mornings free. We also buildContinue reading “What if Christianity’s massive investment in worship is wrong?”
Do we need to take global warming seriously?
This weekend we finish our series about Life in These United States. We have been talking about what everyone is talking about. I’ve enjoyed this series, though it has made me squirm from time to time! But as we conclude this series, we look forward to Advent. Yes, Advent begins next week. And during AdventContinue reading “Do we need to take global warming seriously?”
How Shakespeare and Dumb & Dumber transformed my life
Though I went to Bible college, I can say without hesitation that the Shakespeare class I took during my junior year is in my top 5 classes of my undergrad career. A couple factors made the class so good. First, it was the prof, Dr. Joan Tompkins, who presented Shakespeare to us in anContinue reading “How Shakespeare and Dumb & Dumber transformed my life”
Halloween and Horror…should we be concerned?
What kinds of commercials are you seeing on TV in the very few spots that are not already taken by election commercials? This time of year there are always lots of commercials advertising the latest horror movies. It’s Halloween season, and they’re trying to scare you. But why at Halloween? Have you ever thought aboutContinue reading “Halloween and Horror…should we be concerned?”
What does God say about race and diversity?
This weekend my sermon is about race. Our sermon series is called Life in These United States, and we’re talking about what everyone is talking about. Race relations have been in the news a lot in recent years, and again this week there have been two shootings of black men by police officers. These shootingsContinue reading “What does God say about race and diversity?”
What does the Bible say about Sex?
I feel a bit like the parent who knows they ought and need to talk with their pubescent child about the birds and the bees, but because it is so awkward they procrastinate. Except this time, I’m talking to the church, an entire congregation, on a Sunday morning, about the birds and bees. Yeah, weContinue reading “What does the Bible say about Sex?”
What in the world is Christian “outreach”?
It has been a few years, but for a long time every fall Faith Church held a Harvest Bazaar. Before that it was called a Christmas Bazaar. Many people in our congregation would cook up a storm in their kitchens, creating delicacies for the bake shop. Others would staff the snack shop, making amazing chickenContinue reading “What in the world is Christian “outreach”?”
Engaging Scripture 