Seventeen82

Some  of the stories  I particularly enjoy in the Old Testament  are those about people ‘ outside ’  of Israel  who  c o me to take refuge under the wings of Yahweh (Ruth 2:12).  Each  narrative  is both a  small  taste of the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham that all families of the earth will be blessed in him (Genesis 12:3), and a foretaste of the breaking down of the dividing wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile in the New Testament (Ephesians 2:14).  The stories   are  also   reminder s  of the grace shown to those of us who are spiritual, but not physical, heirs of Abraham.  T wo well-known examples   of these types of stories are those of  Rahab  and Ruth,  told  in the books of Joshua and Ruth. In each case, Bible readers are given not only glimpses into the conversions of these women in the Old Testament,  but their grafting into Israel is also confirme...

We’ve all heard the jokes about Presbyterian’s being anti-fun, the so-called frozen chosen. The seen, but not heard denomination. The post you are about to read is going to sound like it came from the official spokesman of the “Presbyterians against anything nice” coalition. Maybe it’s true, maybe I am the grumpiest Presbyterian alive, but my goal here today is not to get hits or cause trouble. Rabble rousers are boring people. Men who seek out controversy don’t have enough to do and they aren’t really seeking to win converts to their position. They just like to see the fight.  At the end of the day I’m really a harmless little fuzzball who just wants Presbyterians to be Presbyterians, Baptists to be Baptists, and Anglicans to be Anglicans. Good fences make good neighbors. If you know where the other person stands it makes it easier to know where you stand. The topic I’d like to get into today is about the meeting space. Some call it the “sanctuary”, others the “preaching hall”, ...

  Maybe you ’ ve seen the short quote from Mr. Fred Rogers as he reflects on his mother ’ s advice to him whenever he was alarmed by world events.  “ Look for the helpers ”  she ’ d say,  “ There ’ s always someone who is trying to help. ”   Most pastors I know fall into this category of Helper. We ’ re not in it for the money or the retirement plan. We ’ re not in it for a podcast or publication. We ’ re in ministry because the Lord has called us here to, like Peter,  “ feed my sheep ”  (John 21:17). And that means doing a lot helping.    I ’ d also add that most pastors are not in ministry to be expert epidemiologists or to provide a 24/7 supply of pithy social media hot-takes. We didn ’ t enter ministry to mediate heated debates among our church leaders on mask mandates and cleaning protocols. We came to the pulpit that God provided so we could take part in His eternity-long plan to preach the Gospel as  “ the power of God for salvati...

  It’s been a tough 18 months. The world has been wrecked by a pandemic that has taken the lives of 4.5 million people. Many others have been without work and have had significant changes to their daily lives and their “normal.” We’ve been asked to do things none of us have ever had to do. We’ve been asked to wear face masks in public. We’ve been asked to social distance. We’ve been asked to forego important things like graduations, weddings, and even funerals. The world has been turned on its head. To make matters worse, mistrust and division are at all-time highs. A divisive presidential election has divided the country and has even threatened to divide the Church. Two normal men were given messiah status, and we were told that if either one wins, we are all doomed. When I look at the past 18 months, I can think of many ways I have repaid evil for evil. I can think of many times I’ve insulted those who have insulted me. I’ve become defensive when I heard of the difficulties chu...

  “You are the salt of the earth”. Near the beginning of the sermon on the mount in Matthew (ch 5:13), Jesus directs this statement at his disciples, his followers. In all of the apparent chaos and troubles of our time, this point should hold great significance in the life of a modern Christian. Basic salt is a mineral composed primarily of Sodium Chloride (NaCL). If I go to the grocery store, there is an entire shelf filled with options of salt for purchase. For 40 cents I can purchase a 26oz container. So it’s easy for us to miss part of what Jesus is conveying by this statement. In the early first century (and long before), salt was a precious commodity. There were salt merchants in the marketplace and Roman soldiers were paid partially in salt. In fact the word for salt is the basis for the words for both ‘soldier’ and ‘salary’. Salt was essential for both seasoning and seasons. It was used as both a condiment to aid the flavoring of food and a preservative for meats and seafoo...

  As with a tin of pipe tobacco (of which I am certainly familiar), I sense the need to attach a warning label to this blog . C aution, the following  contains an  anecdot e . I likewise feel the need to make a confession. I am one of those rascally fellows who believes in mixing my politics with a good amount of religion (though not my religion with my politics). So, with a much clearer conscience, I will now proceed to state my contention. I contend that the Christian church needs be on guard to preserve sound biblical doctrine. Now that was easy  enough.  After the choir sits down, I will finish my assertion.  I further contend that such a duty requires us to be wary of  some of our  co-belligerents on the right side of the aisle. I sense potential hesitancy in  some portions of  the amen section. Consequently, I best explain myself.  ​ If you happen to be a progressive sort of believer, of which I am not, the subsequent critique...