His Kingdom first. People all over the world have a very familiar and similar reality. Each of us rise each day and face our individual circumstance, which, with little variation, is full of griefs and struggles and some comforts. How perfectly ordinary we…
Marching Outside The Church
On February 26, 1965, Jimmie Lee Jackson, died. And at his funeral Martin Luther King Jr. issued a fiery indictment, saying, “a state trooper pointed the gun, but he did not act alone.” You see, Jimmie Lee Jackson was a Black American Civil Rights activist who was…
The Kingdom of God is Like a Weed
Here is the familiar the Parable of the Mustard Seed: Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.” The common interpretation of this passage seems only common sense. The kingdom of God is represented as this small and seemingly insignificant seed that grows into a fullness that is by orders of magnitude greater than the meek smallness of its beginning. This interpretation finds convenient manifestation in the … Read More
A Reflection on Prayer
“In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.” – 1 Samuel 3:1 In seminary, I had to take a class on prayer and I remember being incredibly scared. Scared, as it were, of the painful reality of God’s conspicuous silence. I have often characterized my spiritual life in evolutionary terms – inasmuch as it is not so much marked by sudden and complete changes as it is by slow and gradual processes. So when I first read the syllabus for this class and saw that I was pressed to seriously consider the matter … Read More
God and Suffering
For more on this topic, please listen to our series of sermons on Comfort. Dictionary.com defines suffering as follows, “[to] experience or be subjected to (something bad or unpleasant).” If Dictionary.com is right, then suffering is as universal as it is unquestionable. That infamous serpent of long ago slithers through the lives every conscious being, eating dust and spitting out suffering in return. The sigh of a heavy heart and the echoed footsteps of a teenager all alone. The tears of those who mourn for all that they have lost and the child who hides behind the couch because her parents are … Read More
The Trap of Friendliness
Yesterday afternoon as I was walking in the Pearl District when I was approached by a man from Green Peace. I could tell he wanted to tell me about his cause so I pretended not to see him. It didn’t work and he quickly said, “I only need a minute.” I let him know that I was in a hurry, thinking that this would free me from listening to his pitch. It didn’t work. “I’ll walk with you, if it’s ok” he responded without hesitation. We walked up the street together and he began to tell me about Green Peace. When he said … Read More
Where Would Jesus Go to the Bathroom?
I have been drinking a lot of water lately because the experts say that this is good for me. I can attest that it does almost always make me feel better. The only exception to this is when there is not an accessible bathroom. Last week I drank 32 ounces of water then had to kill a few hours downtown near Pioneer Square. I “held it” as long as possible, but eventually, I could no longer take the pain of waiting. Knowing that there was not a plethora of easily accessible public bathrooms around I darted into the nearest department store and rushed … Read More
Mud and Sin
In reading a Bible study, I had a vision come to mind regarding sin. As a child, we often found ourselves playing in the dirt even when it was moist and became mud. And the mud pretty much covered us from head to toe. We thought it was fun to play – making mud pies, building roads with our trucks and shovels, and splashing in the mud puddles. At the end of our play time we would come to the back door of the house where our moms wouldn’t allow us back into the house without cleaning the mud off … Read More
Hypocrisy and The Church
Do you think that hypocrisy is a part of the numerical decline of the church in America? Have you been affected by hypocrisy in the church? What do you think Christians need to do differently to stop being seen as hypocrites? [bra_border_divider top=’10’ bottom=’20’] I agree with Pastor Chad’s recent assessment that one of the many elements contributing to the decline in the American church can be attributed to hypocrisy. Christians come from a variety of cultural backgrounds that often have traditions and beliefs that are in conflict with Christian values and guidelines. Many Christians also come from homes that have … Read More