“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem.” – Matthew 2:1 (Common English Bible) The story of the wise men from the east who come to see Jesus is one in which we might be overly familiar. Over-familiarity is […]
Music can be sanctifying. It can be a tool of the Holy Spirit to form the image of Christ in us. Music is a means of grace. Last year I began a tradition of forming a short playlist as a way of reflecting on the year. What have I learned? Where have I seen God? […]
Now that Thanksgiving is over and December is here, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas (though, as usual, I began to see the Christmas décor creep into stores before Halloween was over). Nevertheless, the season of Advent reminds us that before we can celebrate Christmas, we must first endure a season of […]
Every pastor has had the experience of preaching a sermon only to notice that one or more congregants have fallen asleep. Perhaps they are just resting their eyes, we try to tell ourselves. They are prayerfully blocking out distractions so that they can hang on every word. Then their chin droops down to their chest […]
The promises of God are often sold –Forsaken for a bowl of lentil stewOr for a flag of red and white and blue.But there it sits, with time collecting mold. “If hope be hope it must continue to burn after it has put out every false hope.”Karl Barth One of the biggest mistakes Christians in […]
As we near another presidential election, I find that my primary concern is not how this election will impact the country but how it will impact the Church of Jesus Christ. Of course, as a resident of the United States of America, I have concerns about our leadership, the economy, foreign policy, and so on. […]
The Local Pastor 