Is there any hope to rid ourselves of envy and jealousy? What are we to do with our dark longings? We can feel powerless to combat them. We hate the way they make us feel. Dissatisfied and grumpy. Convinced that the next iPhone, the next TV show, the next vacation, the next date, the debtContinue reading “The antidote to envy – Second Sunday of Advent, Part 3”
Tag Archives: worship
Religion/Ritual bad, Relationship good? [False ideas Christians believe about…God’s desires for Christians. Part 2]
Is religion automatically bad? Some Christians are very anti-religion because they feel it goes against the concept of relationship. But does it? Read James 1:26-27, and you’ll see James suggest that religion is not only a viable way to view our connection with God, but that God approves of religion that has a heart forContinue reading “Religion/Ritual bad, Relationship good? [False ideas Christians believe about…God’s desires for Christians. Part 2]”
What can satisfy the soul? part 3 (can your phone?)
Our smartphones promise so much. Can they satisfy the soul? Take note today how often you use yours, and lift up your eyes and observe how often other people are on their phones. The first iPhone came out in June 2007, and in 12 years smartphones have swept the globe, with about one-third of everyContinue reading “What can satisfy the soul? part 3 (can your phone?)”
What can satisfy the soul? part 2
You are what you worship. Agree? Disagree? If I had said, “You are what you eat,” that would be a bit easier to agree with. Food goes in, metabolizes, fuels and shapes the body. You actually are what you eat. But what about worship? Does worship have the same affect on us as food? AllContinue reading “What can satisfy the soul? part 2”
When I visited other churches (What I Learned on Sabbatical, Part 4)
One of the most frequent questions I got before going on sabbatical was, “Where will you go to church?” When I asked people what they thought I should do about church, they had many responses. Some people suggested I take a break, which is essentially the definition of sabbatical. I seriously considered not going toContinue reading “When I visited other churches (What I Learned on Sabbatical, Part 4)”
What is a song of ascent? (the next U2 album?)
For years the rock band U2 has been hinting that they are going to release an album called Songs of Ascent. What might “Songs of Ascent” refer to? Why would U2 think of that title? As the years went by, U2 changed directions a bit, first releasing an album called Songs of Innocence, and justContinue reading “What is a song of ascent? (the next U2 album?)”
The time our church was accused with the words: “That’s not worship!”
“That’s not worship.” The person speaking the words was really frustrated at our church. They were talking about a change we made to our worship service. In that person’s view, the change had turned our worship service into something that was not worship. What change could we make that would take a worship service andContinue reading “The time our church was accused with the words: “That’s not worship!””
What kind of worship does God really want?
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?”
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?”
When Christians should stop inviting people to church
I appreciate a good provocative title. My wife says if I use them too much, people will become callous to them. She’s right. But I really am serious about the title of this blog post. At first I titled it “WHY Christians should stop inviting people to church.” But that was a smidge misleading, andContinue reading “When Christians should stop inviting people to church”
Engaging Scripture 