As I enter my seventeenth year behind the pulpit, I’ve noticed some strange/alien practices that have seeped into the church. When I say alien, I’m not referring to some anorexic like green figure that stepped out of some Disney sci-fi miniseries. Alien to the traditional practices of the Church universally. There are several: fog machines during praise and worship. The decibel level has increased during the time of praise and worship. Songs that focus on the creation (humanity) rather than the Creator. Sermons (not all) are focused on our “goodness” versus our “flaws.” Let’s be transparent with one another. It’s […]

“Abraham said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you’” (Genesis 22:5).   If you are familiar with the story of Abraham and Isaac, you will remember that God called Abraham to do the unimaginable . . . the indescribable . . . the inconceivable . . . the unthinkable: To sacrifice his son Isaac on a mountain in Moriah. Blind faith or believe? Here’s a question for you: Did Abraham simply head out and blindly do what God commanded? Not […]

“Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him […]

One of my favorite scenes from the hit movie, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” which debuted in the year 2000, is when the Grinch speaks with his echo. The scene opens with the Grinch speaking to his dog Max and reassuring himself that he is just fine being alone with his thoughts and doesn’t need anyone. He then proceeds to speak with his echo.   Grinch: How are you? Echo: How are you, are you, you, you? Grinch: I asked you first! Echo: I asked you first, you first, first, first! Grinch: [sarcastically] Oh right, that’s really mature, saying exactly […]

We’re well into the season of Lent – a reflective 40-day…

“Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6–7 NKJV).   At the end of each United States presidential term the president issues pardons to certain men and women who are incarcerated or who have been convicted of various crimes. Governors of the various states also have this power vested within their state offices. A pardon exempts someone […]