Occasionally I would question my eighth grade confirmation students about their worship attendance. I’d ask them to tell me how often they attended church and why. I’d then ask some other questions to help me understand their attitude towards worship and the church. The results were always interesting. The reason almost everyone at that […]
359) Faith and Habits (part one of three) Read More »
A vast majority of the American people believe there is a God. God is all powerful. He holds all the cards. You are here because he put you here. If he so chooses, God can decide how long you will stay here; and, if there is to be anything else for you after
331) Paying Attention to God Read More »
Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you by God. How often have I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks, but you were not willing.” –Luke 13:34 In the Biblical stories we see many wonderful blessings by God, but
330) What Does God Want? Read More »
James Weldon Johnson was born in 1871 in Jacksonville, Florida. Though he is best known for his writing, he was gifted with many talents. He was a poet, novelist, songwriter, anthologist, and newspaper publisher. He was also an educator (high school principal at age 23, and for many years a college
270) The Negro National Hymn Read More »
In Part Five of his Small Catechism, Martin Luther (1483-1546) teaches us about the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Luther repeats some of the same concepts he taught in Part Four on the Sacrament of Baptism. He asks of each, ‘what benefits do we receive,’ and in both he replies, ‘the forgiveness of
180) Martin Luther on Holy Communion Read More »
From a blog entitled Why Millennials are Leaving the Church by Rachel Held Evans. To see the full article and more by Rachel Evans, go to http://www.rachelheldevans.com …The assumption among Christian leaders, and evangelical leaders in particular, is that the key to drawing twenty-somethings back to church is simply to make a few
176) Give These Young Folks What They Want Read More »
Published on the Joe McKeever website on August 27, 2013 (adapted). Dr. McKeever is the Director of Missions (retired) for the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans. “Pastor, the minute you decide church must always be exciting is the moment you begin turning the worship services into pep rallies. After that, it all
164) Getting Excited About Church (?) Read More »
Written by the wife of a Lutheran pastor at: www.iamtotallythatmom.blogspot.ca Dear Parents with young children in church, You are doing something really, really important. I know it’s not easy. I see you with your arms overflowing, and I know you came to church already tired. Parenting is tiring. Really tiring. I watch you bounce and
157) For Parents With Young Children in Church Read More »
Painting above: “My Friend” by Helen Thomas Robson ****************** Good things as well as bad, you know, are caught by a kind of infection. If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal
153) Just a Closer Walk Read More »
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Jesus tells us in this verse that he knows who his sheep are; he knows who belongs to him. But how about you? Do you know if you are one of those sheep? Do you know if you
141) Hearing the Voice of Jesus Read More »
