We live in an instant-gratification culture. If I can think of it, I can have it. NOW! This instant-expectation permeates our society.
Category: Culture
Worried About Finances? That’s Not Your Concern
My kids aren’t worried. They don’t have bills to pay. They don’t have a job to lose. They don’t pay the mortgage. I take care of those things. For the most part, they don’t even think about such things. But I do.
Jesus Rose from the Dead! So What???
The Bible and orthodox Christian doctrine emphasize a physical bodily resurrection – that Jesus wasn’t a disembodied spirit hovering around – but that he had a transformed material body that could be touched and clung to. Why does this matter?
The Church Buildings are Empty. Hallelujah!
I am thankful for the way our government has acted quickly to help Americans financially. The CARES Act provides economic relief for individuals and small businesses. But we need more than just financial support to get through this time.
There’s only one organization that can help meet all of our needs, and it’s because it’s not just an organization.
How Do You Measure Success? (A Good Friday Reflection)
The people thought the triumph was when Jesus won the “popularity contest” in Jerusalem. For them power and popularity meant victory. But Jesus knew better not to get caught up in their shallow view of success.
What Kind of Messiah Are You Looking For? (A Reflection on Palm Sunday)
We were all coasting along, minding our own business, making our plans, and WHAM!!! Corona virus broadsides us and train-wrecks every good thing we had going.
Five Things to do More/Less of During Shelter-in-Place
Imagine yourself at the end of this pandemic. What do you want to know? How do you want to grow? What memories will you have created? What bad habits will you have broken? What good habits will you have started? What will be different as result? How will you have changed?
Re-Churching
Maybe I was naïve, ignorant, or just hopeful, but I didn’t think it would be this hard. I hoped I could just sit under another pastor’s teaching and be ministered to. I hoped I could just let the Spirit wash over me in worship. I hoped I’d make some new friends, reconnect with some old ones, and be refreshed in relationships. But after nearly 8 months since stepping out of the pastorate, I’m finding it extremely difficult to be just “going to church” for the first time in 18 years.
We’re in the Endgame Now
In the blockbuster movie Avengers: Infinity War, earth’s superheroes find themselves in the unfamiliar and uncomfortable position of being on the losing end of the battle. For years, they’ve enjoyed celebrity status as the protectors of the universe until an other-worldly foe, Thanos, forcefully challenges their position. In many ways, this serves as a metaphor for the […]
How to Maximize your Time
In our fast-paced culture, we are always on the go, running here and there, trying to do more in less time. We over-commit. We get anxious and overwhelmed with all of our tasks and responsibilities. We are strained, stressed, and spread thin. So we try to take the fastest route, buy pre-prepared meals, and download […]
