Smash those Idols

Despite all appearances, I started writing this before that great moment in American history when Michael Cassidy chopped down the idol in the Iowa State building. It came during a time when I was walking through our Christmas traditions at our church. In our tradition, the Christmas tree comes from the felled thunder oak of…

Dare to be Grateful (a shaky voice)

Has anyone else noticed that as we have increasingly attacked the holiday focused on giving thanks every year, dismissing it as colonialist and every manner of anachronism, people have grown increasingly resentful? That shouldn’t surprise us. I was perusing a fellow blogger’s entry recently. She posted a picture that said: “Always speak the truth even…

Prophecies, Principles, and Promises

The Lord desires to comfort his people. Sometimes in these desires that we share, we go looking for comforting things in God’s Word. Yet, often when God promises consolation, it is usually on behalf of the discipline his people are experiencing. When reading a passage in the Old Testament about God’s character, you can bank…

The Lost Art of Gratitude

Thanksgiving is the proper response when someone blesses you. It is the orientation that created people naturally have towards their maker. It also seems to be one of the most detrimentally damaged heart functions when someone walks away from the faith. It is almost as if they feel the need to justify their departure by…

Reformation Sunday

This year will be the 505th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses on the door of Wittenburg church. Martin Luther was a lowly Augustinian Monk with an enlarged conscience. He would spend hours in confession, yet how much trouble can a Monk really get in? His contemporaries took a few minutes, but he…

The Humanity of the Gospel

As I read through the Gospels again, I was struck by the humanness of the story of Jesus. What I mean is not so much the humanity of Christ, but how much God seemed to allow for the agency of man to be a part of the story. This is first obvious in the advent…

I Hold the Light

This will be a short one because it is Christmas, so go prepare for Christmas! 4 In him was life and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1) 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the…

How to Enjoy God

With 2020 here, it is incumbent on all believers to continue to walk the narrow road to God. Jesus declared himself the way the truth and the life. But we know that Jesus said the way to God was narrow and the gate to destruction was wide and freely swings open to the masses. (Matthew 7:13)…

Unhostile Takeover

There are some people who have a bit of a problem with the idea of Christmas. Why? Because, yes, some of the traditions do have some pagan origins. Some of the symbolism comes from a pagan festival with a pagan god. Some have taken this to mean that we are deceived and our Christian holiday…

Easter Bunnies, Jesus, and Johnny Cash

1 Corinthians 15:14  “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” Without the resurrection our faith is pointless. With the resurrection our faith is everything. Easter is here again, on Sunday. Easter is great because it means: He is risen! I once had to wear…