no unpublished thoughts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
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
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
Like most pastors, I have been reflecting on the pattern of declining church attendance over the last few decades. Within my own quarter of a century of ministry at my local church, we have witnessed the loss of the Sunday evening service (attendance had dropped so low that we did not “bring it back” following … Continue reading Does the Digital Age Favor Roman Catholicism over Evangelicalism?
We are three days past the elections here in the United States. Now what? Specifically, what can Christians learn and what do Christians need to do in this moment? I thought of some reasons to be thankful, some reasons to be hopeful, and some challenges that lie ahead of us. I am thankful that the … Continue reading The Election is Over. Now What?
Nathan Writes 