Weighted

Some moments are, well, momentous. Why do we do weddings?  Why rings? Why unity candles? Why end with a kiss? There are a lot of symbols mixed up with this occasion. Symbols intended to add significance; weight. Some think weddings have become obsolete; mere ceremony without real meaning. Why not just set up house together?… Read More ›

Jesus is king

Jesus is king! But there are many who refuse to acknowledge his lordship. Its more than that really. They hate the very idea of Jesus being king. They may be okay if he is relegated to a somewhat nice guru. But if he is king, you have to obey him.

Mother Reflection

Will this be the last Mother’s Day that my Mom will be here for? Will Sunday be the last Mother’s Day call I make? I don’t know. The truth is, we never know. Do we? But there are times, like now, when the reality of death is more pressing; more present, I guess. My Mom’s… Read More ›

Compassion

When my Grandpa died my Dad was in the military. My Granny was trying to take care of her younger children by herself. She had just lost her husband and several months earlier her oldest son was killed at Heart Break Ridge in the Korean War. Overwhelming grief seized her. Two neighbors and a doctor… Read More ›

Worthy

If you brag about your faith, you may just be missing the point of faith. Or maybe what I should say is that faith in and of itself has zero power. You see, you could have all the faith in the world that jumping into the ocean while holding a large rock will help you… Read More ›

Wait for it

“Faith, in and of itself, has no power.” I read that in a commentary. My first reaction was to balk. To argue. I read on and realized that the author’s point was a good one. If you put your faith in the wrong thing, it cannot help you. Let’s say you have turned to alcohol… Read More ›

Chosen

There are things that a sign-up sheet is aptly suited for. A sign-up sheet implies that anyone can add their name to the list. Do you want to clean the building? Anyone can do it. there is a sign-up sheet for that. Do you want to help with snow removal? Anyone is welcome to do… Read More ›

Do Good Not Evil

According to 1 Macabees 1-2, Antiochus Epiphanes decided that everyone in his kingdom should have the same religion. That included the Jews. So, he marched into Jerusalem and set up idols in the temple. He also commanded that everyone worship the idols that he had set up all over Israel. Mattathias and his sons refused… Read More ›

An Old Approach to Sabbath

What is the purpose of law? If it is merely about rules, then keeping those rules will supersede all else. When I traveled to The Netherlands to serve as a missionary apprentice, the rules said that I had to leave. After being detained for four hours at the airport, I was allowed to enter the… Read More ›

Stale Approach

On a Sunday, in the stale valley, the stale church sang out stale songs. Meaning scampered out of reach as stale worshipers comforted themselves with the comfortable. The preacher stood and droned out a stale sermon he dusted off earlier in the morning. The worshipers stood and sang out a stale invitation song, long forgotten… Read More ›