The Speck in the President’s Eye

Last week many Christians were offended when the president, at the National Prayer Breakfast, compared Muslim violence to historic Christian violence, namely the Crusades, the Inquisition, and Jim Crow laws. Many pointed out the connection (or disconnection) between core Christian commitments and actions, ergo violence done in the name of Christianity can hardly be considered […]

The Evangelical Covenant Church: What They Get Right and Why

Last week I participated in the 2015 Midwinter ministers’ conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church. During the day, I took part in a Covenant History course, required for my ordination in the Covenant. This week I had to write a reflection paper on my class experience, so I thought I would share it on my […]

Hunger for God and Mission

I will never forget that cold winter Saturday in 2006. I got up early to attend a quarterly district meeting of Free Will Baptists in Northeastern Ohio. I wasn’t expecting much. Conference meetings were generally poorly attended and unexciting. Even more, a late night storm had left a thick blanket of snow on the roadways. […]

4 things stay-at-home Christians missed in 2014…

I recently wrote, “Seven Things Christians Can Do in 2015… Besides Go to Church,” because many people go to church but are not practicing basic disciplines outside of church. Check it out. However, there are also those who self-identify as Christian, but do not go to church. If you are a stay-at-home Christian, here are […]

Ash Wednesday Meditation

The following was written for a Lenten Reader (a devotional for the season of Lent, which precedes Easter). Ash Wednesday – John 1:1-34 Logo. Investors know the power of a company “logo” to communicate brand identity to the masses. A bright yellow “M” on the skyline, or the silhouette of an apple on a smart […]

7 things Christians can do in 2015… besides go to church.

Of course Christians should be going to church, nevertheless, here are seven other things they could do…but likely do not do.

Reading Scripture Like Music

I’ve always been a frustrated musician. I can play by guitar by ear and even carry a tune. I love music, but I can’t read sheet music beyond a few notes at a time. Recently, I sat in the back of a noisy school music room. Three of my children joined about a dozen other […]

Saint-Patrick’s day excerpt

It is easy to miss the larger context of St. Partrick today. During the early Middle Ages, the the Roman world was in decline in continental Europe, but Celtic Christianity and spirituality were growing . Celtic Christianity was marked by a belief that God was very near, that the spiritual world was very real, and […]

A message in a bottle for pastors…

We’re always intrigued by the message in a bottle possibility. Well here is one that has been traveling the seas for some 1,400 years. The world and church was so radically different that it might seem like a message form another planet, but there’s some valuable advice for pastors today.

Thinking is Believing – Grace and Free Will

We’ve all heard that “seeing is believing.” Well Augustine seemed to think that “thinking was believing…” or at least he thought that believing was always preceded by thinking.