no unpublished thoughts
Communion Meditation April 2025 Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. When Christ observed the last Supper with his disciples, He knew … Continue reading In Light of the Resurrection
From time to time, institutions sway and even collapse, and it is only then that we recognize their value and significance. At the family level, Thanksgiving at grandma’s house becomes an institution that holds a family together. Institutions are like that: little centers of gravity for social cohesion. Their absence results in a dissolution that … Continue reading Restoring Institutional Trust and the Cleansing of the Augean Stables
When I first started pastoring – wait, I suppose I should mention that this post isn’t about panhandling. This is specifically about teaching on giving at church, which tends to be perceived as asking people for money. When I first started pastoring, I studiously avoided the topic of giving, even though our church was at … Continue reading How I Got Comfortable Asking People for Money
I recently had a conversation with some believers who were describing a series of events that had unfolded, concluding with something like, “we could tell that this was God’s plan.” The potential fallacy involved here is not in ascribing “God’s plan” to the series of events that have taken place. The fallacy involved is in … Continue reading The “God’s Plan” Fallacy
Part 2 of a biblical take on women serving in combat.
Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing provides us an opportunity to think about women in combat roles from a Christian perspective
One of the conflicts that Jesus had with the Pharisees was over the idea of eating with unwashed hands. Most common people ignored this rule, as the labor involved in acquiring water as well as the necessary utensils for washing hands would be hard to come by unless one were wealthy. So Jesus and his … Continue reading The Hands that Broke the Bread
“We could have been homeschooling”, I reflected while dishing out the annual cash to the kids for the GDA Christmas store. There would have been no kids Christmas concert. No classroom parties. No teacher gifts to buy. And if that had been the the way that 2024 faded into 2025, we would have been ok. … Continue reading Merry Christmas, GDA
Communion Meditation – December 2024 Joh_6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. Just as there are boys who falsely think that kicking a ball or shooting a gun in a video game are equivalent to kicking a real ball or … Continue reading It Doesn’t Work Without Flesh and Blood
Thanksgiving dinner is still digesting but Black Friday deals wait for no man. Although, TBH, my inclination towards any Black Friday purchases is pretty low this year, partially because finances are tight and partially because living space is tight during some housing transitions we are working through. But gift giving is a part of our … Continue reading Choosing Christmas Presents for the Kids
Nathan Writes 