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The Ugliness That Gets “Lightly” Reported
Finally, after FIVE WEEKS of trial, the grisly story of an abortion doctor performing late term abortions and murders makes it to the main stream media. And they don’t hold back any details. This is not light reading, folks. But it MUST be read. We can talk of the violence in our schools, in Boston, in Iraq… but the violence committed…
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Violence in Our World
The bombing in Boston has shaken us again. We will be on the lookout again for the perpetrators, and then we will ask, “WHY?” In our time, we are fixated on “WHY” as if we should somehow be exempt from problems. Somehow violence needs to be “over there” and not “here.” Violence is a part of the human condition. A…
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There and Back
I mentioned last week the incredible surprise our church and city gave us for our 15th anniversary as pastors and 25th wedding anniversary. It was a “there and back” trip that was all too quick, and beyond imagination for us. We are so immensely grateful to everyone who gave so much to treat Terri and I to such a wonderful…
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The Conversation of Depression
While we’re not having another needed conversation (this one about depression), let me just go ahead and bring it up again. WE NEED TO TALK. A fellow blogger, Jeff, is a strong believer and battles depression. He puts some of his thoughts HERE. Let’s not talk about other things while we’re at it. 😉 We truly need to see the…
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Parables
“The parables, in fact, are told as kingdom explanations for Jesus’s kingdom actions. They are saying: ‘Don’t be surprised, but this is what it looks like when God’s in charge.’ They are not ‘abstract teaching,’ and indeed if we approach them like that, we won’t understand them at all.” — N T Wright, Simply Jesus
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Mental Illness and the Conversation We Don’t Have
With the tragedy of Rick and Kay Warren losing their son, once again mental illness is front and center. Over the weekend I also saw a video from a Colorado sheriff who was upset at Obama coming to Colorado pushing gun control because there are “deeper issues.” I could only assume he meant mental illness in that mix because the…
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Two Numbers: 15 and 25
This week brings together two significant passages of time in my life. This month I celebrate 15 years as pastor of Heights Church in Columbia Heights, MN. Next month my wife and I celebrate 25 years of marriage. And this week we get the privilege of celebrating those events with a special trip put together by our church and city.…
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Following Christ and Surrendering Dreams
N T Wright’s book Simply Jesus is a real challenge to understanding the gospel Think on this quote: He commands his hearers to give up their other dreams and to trust his instead. This, at its simplest, is what Jesus was all about. Help me follow you, Lord.
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The Utilitarian Jesus
N T Wright’s book Simply Jesus is filling my imagination right now. Surprised by Hope was a book that jarred me awake to the realities of the Kingdom of God in the present, and I still need to re-read that one! Wright continues to bring out what I feel about myself and about our culture in general: We want a…
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Crazy Thought of the Day — On Worship
We need to get the notion out of our heads that “worship” is the singing part of a church service. Worship is declaration. It’s not just singing something. It’s not just connecting with some emotion. Worship is the declaration that JESUS IS LORD. By implication that means we are saying, “JESUS is Lord, and no one else is.” It is…
