The church was meant to be a partnership of shared values, cooperation and responsibility. Our focus on “membership in an organization” rather than a “partnership between friends” has cause a serious shift in what we expect the church to do and to be. This week, as part of our stewardship focus, is to change one […]
It is our unity, not our uniformity, that will build community! Uniformity: the quality or state of being uniform, “an attempt to impose administrative and cultural uniformity” We are to “…become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:13) When we think of stewardship, we often get stuck in our unhealthy attachment […]
Can the Church be the Church without Children present? This week we look at Luke 18:15-17 when Jesus admonishes his disciples for keeping children away. Why are children so important to our understanding Jesus’ ministry. For many years children were suppose to be seen and not heard. They were an annoyance to be tolerated rather […]
What makes the church, its purpose and longevity, so unique, so essential to human development and to the creation of a healthy society. Certainly over the years there have been numerous organizations that have done noble deed, supported great social causes, brought positive change to the world. So what makes the church so different. The […]
All of us deal with stress and anxiety at some level. For some it can be debilitating, for others a sleepless night, for others apathy and indifference. There is hope for all of us if we’re able to see it and willing to take the necessary steps. Dealing with Anxiety based on Numbers Chapter 11. […]
Many people describe sin as not being good enough, missing the mark or being something less than ideal. All of these definitions produce feelings of guilt, shame and resentment toward God. Sin has become sort of a cuss word to be thrown at someone and to make the thrower seem better than they really are. But my […]
However, you feel about C S Lewis, or Christianity for that matter, I believe that everyone should read The Screwtape Letters at least once before they die. These letters in which a demon instructs his nephew on how to damn a soul contain some of the smartest writing on human nature I’ve ever come across, […]
We can see only a tiny fraction of the amount of light available. There is a whole spectrum of ultraviolet and infrared light that is much greater than the visible spectrum that is vitally important to life, but we cannot see it. Of course anyone who’s ever been to the beach knows that you ignore […]
We are given the choice in how we respond to those moments of chaos, uncertainty and trouble. We can either preayre for them or pretend they don’t exist and go through life blistfully ignorant. We pretend problems will never come to good people like us, even though we know better. In his best seller, The Road […]
During the summer months we have an opportunity to refocus and to reconsider that path we’re on. We take vacations in order to go somewhere beyond the ordinary and experience something extraordinary. It is in these quiet moments that we cultivate a heart of gratitude. Cicero once said that “gratitude is not only the greatest […]