I have noticed that the vast majority of complaints are unworthy of being taken seriously. The unworthiness has to do with the fact that the complaints typically come from “frequent flyers,” and the complainant hasn’t done the necessary prerequisite work of scrutinizing themselves and discerning an edifying way to convey their concern. The result is […]
Jesus regularly says shocking and offensive stuff to us. Remember that time Jesus told a paralyzed guy that his sins were forgiven! …Imagine how offended you would be! You’re the victim! You’re paralyzed! You think, “God has some explaining to do.” And then one day God shows up in the flesh and the first thing […]
Who are the great ‘followers of God’? Who are the people setting the pace for godliness? Who do we esteem and venerate as the ‘giants of the faith’? It’s the people who obtain PhDs and publish books …right? It’s the folks wearing suits and showing us quantifiable versions of piety …right? It’s the people who […]
How do you define greatness? The only perfect person to have ever lived summed-up greatness in one word – – – > CHILDLIKE. The most powerful person in the history of the universe says, “Whoever humbles himself like a child is the greatest in the Kingdom that is above all kingdoms.” Why is childlikeness so […]
Linda Wilkinson let me borrow a book a few months ago. “This too shall last” by KJ Ramsey. I took pictures of a few pages that resonated with me. Here are a few of my favorites – – – >
Once upon a time, Eugene was asked a question about “spiritual direction.” And here’s how he replied: You seem disappointed that I am not more responsive to your interest in “spiritual direction”. Actually, I am more than a little ambivalent about the term, particularly in the ways it is being used so loosely without any […]
Imagine a business office. Imagine that this office has a manager. This manager doesn’t emphasize productivity, but instead intrudes upon people’s personal lives. This manager isn’t too concerned with finances, but is highly concerned that everyone be friends and interact like a big family. Instead of harping on “company policies,” “safety protocols,” and “productivity,” this […]
PCA-ers have a big blue book called the “BCO” (the book of church order). There’s lots of great and helpful stuff in the BCO, and there’s a decent bit of boring material as well. Whatever your opinion of the BCO, it’s appropriate to wonder, “Why do we have a BCO?” Let’s acknowledge that all communities, […]
What happens on an ECPC leadership retreat? Last weekend the pastoral interns, the deacons, and the elders of ECPC traveled to Lincolnton NC for an annual leadership retreat. Here’s what happened: Within the first few minutes of arriving Jon narrowly escaped a dog attack. For full details contact Jon directly, but suffice it to say […]
There’s a long-time member of our church named Gideon. Gideon had over 5 dozen sons (with multiple women). One of Gideon’s sons received financing from his mother’s hometown community to hire worthless and reckless fellows to carry out genocide against his brothers. But the youngest of Gideon’s sons escaped the genocide. The youngest son of […]