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Communion Meditation July 6, 2025 Text: John 17:1-11 As Christ is preparing to go to the cross, His care and His attention is not for Himself, but for those He is going to leave behind in the world. He will not leave them alone, because He is going to send another Comforter to be with … Continue reading That We May Be One
One of the questions that has arisen as multiple books have been published on Christian Nationalism is whether or not a nation can be “Christian”. Some have argued that nations lack the capacity to retain such characterizations because they cannot be redeemed in the way than an individual can be redeemed. Only individuals have eternal … Continue reading Can Institutions Be “Christian”?
I tried to figure out what the 15 year anniversary symbol is, but I came up with everything from crystal to rubies to watches to “anything red”. So I have decided to add my own, which is “Consolation Disappointments”. Now this takes a little unpacking, but I’m hopeful that by the time you read to the … Continue reading To Katie: 15 Years of Marriage & Consolation Disappointments
Before laying out the specifics of establishing a Christian household, we first want to make sure that our efforts are effective, resulting in the kind of flourishing household described by Psalm 128, and not something resembling the household version of the French Revolution. I say this because some men go to a conference or hear … Continue reading Gardeners, Not Alchemists
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
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
Nathan Writes 