It is a dangerous thing to approach God casually. Early in Israel’s history, the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant. What was meant to be approached only once each year by the High Priest to make atonement for the sins of the whole nation, the people tried to use the Ark as a “secret … [Read more…]
With the new year comes the perennial preacher problem: what should I focus on this year? I know quite a few preachers who resist developing an annual theme for their preaching, teaching, and writing, expecting to respond to the needs of their congregation as they arise or to follow the traditional seasons of the church … [Read more…]
‘Tis the season for belief. As we wander through the aisles of the big-box stores and specialty shops, we’ll see other shoppers wearing shirts or sweaters proclaiming, “I believe!” As we browse the internet looking for sales on the gifts we want to give to our friends and loved ones, we’ll find all kinds of … [Read more…]
As our Sunday evening Bible study group heads into the final chapter of Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi, we have already encountered one of the more difficult instructions to the church: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians … [Read more…]
Having finished our summer-long trip following Israel’s journey from Mt. Sinai to the Promised Land in the book of Numbers and beginning a new series examining Paul’s second letter to Timothy, we find a consistent theme: that God’s promise for new life is not restricted to one group of people of one era in one … [Read more…]
The story of Balaam is probably one of the most widely recognized accounts from the book of Numbers, especially that part when God enabled Balaam’s donkey to speak. Talking animals make a lot of money for filmmakers because they catch our attention, and that’s what God intended with Balaam. Balaam was a professional sign reader, … [Read more…]
Medieval mapmakers would often embellish the edges of their maps with illustrations of dragons or other mythical creatures, especially on maps that charted only regions that had been explored. On a few such maps there has been found the phrase “Here be dragons,” indicating that what lay beyond the edges of the map was unknown. … [Read more…]
We live in an ideal world; that is, we live in a world that revolves around ideals. Whatever it is that we find ourselves doing or pursuing, we have ideals that establish standards for our words and actions. Ideals are different from goals. Where goals establish steps for achievement, ideals define the perfect. When we … [Read more…]
Growing up, I experienced Memorial Day as Decoration Day, a day of remembering not only those who died in service to our country but also relatives who had died. It was the day we visited cemeteries to clear any debris from the graves of loved ones and decorate them with flowers. With these traditions I … [Read more…]
While there are risks to adopting business language and models for leading and living as the church, it is a good idea for us to evaluate who we are, what we do, and why we do it as the church to make sure, first, that we know and, second, that we’re doing it. For the … [Read more…]