The question of which is more important, sermon or Scripture, seems like a no-brainer. But the way Scripture is handled before and during sermons tells the truth of the matter. Are the Scriptures read first? […]
Tag: Scripture
Big “buts” in the Bible
But. It can be one of the most frustrating words, pulling the carpet from beneath our feet. “You would be a great addition to our team, but the position has already been filled.” At the same time, […]
Prepare to share (or, one practice for an uncontainable faith)
When I was growing up, the churches I was a part of had two services each Sunday morning that weren’t identical like most multi-service churches now. The first service was shorter, about half an hour, […]
We need better stories for better imaginations
We know who we are by the stories we tell. Better stories lead to better living. If I tell a lot of stories about how busy I am, busyness defines my identity. If I tell […]
Reading the Bible like a novel
There are parts of the Bible which are like a manual. But not a lot. It’s mostly story, poetry, and dream language. Even the manual parts aren’t all that much like a manual. Sure, there […]
What watching Star Wars teaches us about reading the Bible
[Be forewarned. There will be spoilers from Star Wars: The Force Awakens included in this post.] Joining the masses who have made Star Wars: The Force Awakens the biggest blockbuster of all time (so far), I took my family […]
The problem with inventing your own God
I was heading to Orlando for a conference and had made preparations with friends there to have someone pick me up at the airport. I’d never met the picker-upper, so I sent not just my […]
How to read the Bible, part 4 — Live — I live a life of active response to the God who speaks.
What we’re after is a life well-lived. Not just well-thought. Not just well-talked about. Not just well-reflected on. Not just well-prayed. These are all good things and a full life includes them. But a life […]
How to read the Bible, part 1 — Read — God speaks. We listen.
There are four steps to the process of Bible reading referred to as “sacred reading” or lectio divina. The first of these is lectio, which simply refers to reading. As followers of Jesus, we know that we’re […]
Do you know your God?
Just a couple weeks after I became a pastor, my family and I were invited over to dinner by a family in our new church. Things seemed to be going well until I was asked a […]