There were many groupings in Jesus’ day about which we hear a lot but know little. There were the Pharisees, a group who traditionally had saved the people from secularization by protecting the law from overly-liberal interpretations that took the power away from it. During Jesus’ day, however, they had taken their protection of the […]
The Apostle Paul describes “orderly worship” and it makes me drool. As a worship leader myself, I don’t long for a little more order in worship, but for participation as Paul describes it here. Paul’s problem is that when everyone brings their gifts to worship – words of knowledge, prayers, prophecies, hymns, prayers in tongues […]
Walt Muller, president of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding (CPYU), spoke at our Covenant Midwinter pastor’s conference a few decades ago. What I remember most from his discussion was the fact that, “media is both mirror and map.” This means that as we look at movies, television, music, and any other modern day media, we […]
Today we are reminded of the gospel message: God knows us, God loves us, and that love will remain. Notice there isn’t the usual focus on our behavior that most gospel messages begin with. That’s because behavior follows belief, and belief follows belonging. This was the difference Jesus brought to the “gospel” of the OT. […]
20 years ago at my first church, a local Assembly of God pastor declared to his church that anyone who did not speak in tongues was not “filled with the Holy Spirit” and therefore could not be in leadership. Half the church left in protest, and a great majority of them joined our church. This […]