Reformed, Hopeful, Always Reforming
I was poking around on facebook the other day and saw Wayne Bowerman anticipating a new book by Tony Jones on a subject near to my heart and heavy on my brain: atonement. Having grown up, and now serving in, a reformed church I’ve spent many moments wrestling with others and myself regarding the “king” […]
Read More Reforming a Reformed View of AtonementInnocent people die. In a world of disease, people who don’t smoke and don’t drink and eat the best they can, feel strange pains in their abdomen. “It’s cancer,” the doctor says. Where did it come from? Why me? Was it due to pesticides and hormones in food that I did not make? Is it […]
Read More The Death of Innocents“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin), so as to live for the rest of your earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God” – I Peter 4:1-2 We believe that the […]
Read More Suffer.I am a pastor. So, I’m writing about myself as much as all the others. The reason I’m writing is that I’m about to enter my 8th year of ministry with this particular congregation. And, it’s a particularly exciting time. As I type, I’m looking forward to this 8th year more than many of […]
Read More Rotten Pastors?My son, who is 7, is a really sensitive kid. I like that about him. I especially like how he befriends other kids with special needs. Whether it’s another kid on the basketball team who has autism or a relative with Cerebral Palsy, he seems to make special time and give special attention to those […]
Read More Rotten Kids?A lot has been made lately of the “nones.” It’s an odd word to use in describing someone, but it’s popping up a lot lately in conversations about faith and spirituality and religion. The term refers to those people who claim no religious affiliation. They are not Reformed. They are not Catholic. Neither are they […]
Read More Nones vs. Nuns (or why I’m not losing my religion).Today marks the beginning of Holy Week. “Holy” is such a churchy word and, as a result, carries a lot of baggage. So, let’s start by lightening the load. Holy means somewhat peculiar, somehow different, something unique, or someone set apart for a special purpose. This week, then, is different, unique, even peculiar. And yes, […]
Read More Be Holy (whatever that means).