Apprentice 2 Jesus

Culture

  • How to get God “back in our schools”

    It’s not like he ever left… but at any rate… We have a great relationship with our schools where our church is located. It started when we decided to bless instead of curse.  When I first arrived at the church as pastor I went all around town and introduced myself. City hall, police department, fire… Read more

  • Live Dead Challenge: Good News isn’t “Self Help”

    We are just into a series on “LIVE DEAD” at our church. This week’s reflection is on Romans 12. Next Sunday we reflect on Romans 13:8-14.  The process of “LIVE DEAD” begins with Paul’s urging in Romans 12: So, brothers and sisters, because of God’s mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies as a… Read more

  • Idol worship in the American church

    I was in college in the days of the PTL scandal and Jimmy Swaggart’s failings.  In the years since I honestly thought we could have learned our lessons from those debacles. Clearly, we have not. We continue to seek out evangelical superstars and the huge crowds and then we are shocked all over again when… Read more

  • A new “Live Dead” challenge

    In our denomination, one of the most exciting movements I have seen being raised right now is the “Live Dead” movement. It is a radical commitment to reaching the unreached in some of the hardest places in the world.  Something we are not very good at as American Christians is “living dead.” We are a… Read more

  • I guess I don’t pay too much attention to where I live

    Actually, I pay a LOT of attention to where I live. I love where I live and I want to love the people right where I live. This is what is kind of disappointing when it comes to church leaders/pastors. I was talking to a leader new to town and he had been warned off… Read more

  • Throwing cold water on the ice bucket challenge

    President Obama refused the ice bucket challenge.  Others refuse for all kinds of reasons. There are moral ones due to the types of stem cell research done particular ALS groups.  Then there are just ones where they don’t like to be “shamed.”  Personally, I think the president refused the challenge because it would mess up his… Read more

  • ALS ice bucket challenge

    I took the ALS ice bucket challenge today. What I had planned as 5 pounds of ice in a good sized bucket morphed into about 15 pounds of ice water in a huge tub. I am looking for names on that one… ALS has the nickname “Lou Gehrig’s Disease” after the great baseball player cut… Read more

  • Why do we fear relationships?

    The issues of race, ethnic divides, immigration concerns, are such hot button issues.  Immediately following the events of 9/11, I immediately contacted my Muslim friends to make sure they were okay. I wanted them to know I wasn’t angry with them and I wanted, above all, to make sure no one else was taking anything… Read more

  • The silence is deafening

    I just watched a statement from President Obama regarding the murder of journalist James Foley. With great care the president condemned ISIL for its horrendous act… and with great care once again he failed to mention ISIL’s systematic slaughter of Christians.  I don’t want to dissect the president’s thinking. I want to voice my intense… Read more

  • Looting, Rioting, Black, White… etc.

    I saw this picture from a friend on Facebook and just couldn’t resist putting it up and talking about it: The issues of Ferguson, MO, and race are, like so many issues slapping us around today, far more complicated than the bumper sticker answers we usually have. They are even far more complicated that the… Read more