Church Blog (Page 2)
A Warning
Judas and the other disciples were in agreement. That expensive bottle of ointment the woman poured over Jesus’ head in Bethany had been wasted. It should have been sold with the money given to the poor. After all, wasn’t care for the poor a central theme of Jesus’ message? Matthew tells the story. “Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment,…
Ashes to Ashes
The low church Protestant tradition I was raised in did not follow the traditional church calendar and Lectionary. We did not observe Lent and thought those folks walking around with ash crosses on their heads on Ash Wednesday were a bit weird. I have come to believe that was my loss. Once I took the time and care to learn the history and meaning of such observances, I have come to appreciate the symbolism and devotional meaning of them. Today…
My Paradigm Challenged
As I was reading John 9 this morning, I was struck by the interaction between a man healed of his blindness and the Pharisees. What an incredible story with a convicting ending. As the man who had been blind his entire life has to justify his healing, he tells the Pharisees (those with religious power), “If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” (John 9:33 NIV) What happens next is sad and scary. Verse 34: “To this…
Delight Yourself
Psalm 37 is one of my favorite Psalms. It appeals to my sense of fairness and gives counsel for how to keep my head on straight and my heart in the right place when things seem not to be going as they should. “Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and…
Who Let the Peace Out?
One of my favorite words of wisdom in the Scriptures is: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful (Colossians 3:15 NIV).” It’s the word rule that grabs my attention. It means “to be in charge” or “to make the call,” much like the umpire in a baseball game I watched recently. Whenever I am faced with a difficult decision, it is the choice that…
Pause and Pray
To be honest, I haven’t been a big fan of prayer techniques. My attitude has been when I want to pray, I’ll do it with my words when I want and where I want. The downside of that has been an undisciplined prayer life. That’s not a good attitude to have about communication in any relationship. Imagine the husband that declares, “I told you I love you at our wedding. If it changes, I’ll let you know.” Such a cavalier…
Saved?
“Are you saved?” the street evangelist asked me. Raised in the church as the pastor’s son, I knew what he was asking, but in the moment it wasn’t a matter I was giving much thought to. In our tradition back then, one dipped in and out of salvation depending on how successfully they lived the “Christian” life. For us that meant thinking only holy thoughts, daily prayer and Bible reading, no bad words, no dirty jokes, no smoking, drinking or…
Ahead
Speaking of all the notables in the Hebrew Scriptures who had lived and died with unrealized goals, the writer of Hebrews made this observation in Hebrews 11:13-16: These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that…
Searching the Archives
Did you know our entire website is searchable, including over 5 years of blogs and messages? Perhaps you wish you knew more about a topic, but unfortunately, it’s not something we are currently teaching on Sundays. But that doesn’t mean we haven’t spoken about it in the past. Now you can see what we have said about any topic you have questions about. Below are two ways to search our website: Text Search From any page on the website, you…
A Long Road Together
For many teenagers, learning to drive and getting your first car is a turning point in your transition to independence. But for some youth, the journey is not so easy. Because of busy parent schedules and insurance issues or not having access to a car, some youth struggle to move towards reaching that important milestone of obtaining a license. Here’s where one incredible (and patient) youth worker took the opportunity to step in and help a youth reach that milestone.…
Be a Neighbor
Jesus told us that everyone we come in contact with is our neighbor. (Luke 10:25-37) But often, we see this as so broad, applying to so many people, that it doesn’t move us to actually care about those right across the street. When Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” he was calling us not to feel some gooey emotion that gives us goose bumps. He was calling us to action. To actually do something tangible that would show care…
The Power of a Friendly Face
Recently I was in a conversation with a family who has been around Ashworth for about four years. I asked the wife/mom a question, “Your family came to Ashworth for the first time on an Easter Sunday. Why did you come back?” There was a pause and look of deep thought, and I said I would get back with her later. A few days later, she came to me and told me she had an answer. She said she came…