Are you ever tempted to think that you or someone you know is beyond redemption, with a life too full of ‘junk’ to ever be useful in God’s hands? When faced with a person’s repeated failures, we conclude, “There’s just… Continue reading

Yesterday, I opened the Sept./Oct. ’06 issue of Discipleship Journal and saw an interview with Pastor Ted Haggard printed there and it made me feel sick and sad all over again. I realize you may have had enough ‘Haggard’ to… Continue reading

The king was delighted to be bringing the treasured Ark of the Covenant of God to Jerusalem. The gold chest which had been the symbolic place of God’s dwelling among the people had been part of Israel’s national life for… Continue reading

Thinking about staying home from the polls tomorrow because you think it does not really matter? Consider these elections…. In 1999, Leslie Byrne was elected to the Virginia Senate by 37 votes, less than one vote per precinct. Donald Sherwood… Continue reading

I am terribly sad today, broken-hearted for the Kingdom of God as another leader of the church has apparently sinned terribly against his Lord, his church, and his family. Ted Haggard, the president of the National Association of Evangelicals and… Continue reading

So where do you put yourself on the sliding scale of acceptability? Come on, now. It is a common human trait to compare ourselves with others in our search for significance. For example, a person might reason – “I’m nowhere… Continue reading

Mort Zuckerman, editor of U.S. News, writes about two kinds of cultures – the shame culture and the guilt culture – in an article published in the 11/6/06 issue. In that essay, he reflects on the growing problem with cheating… Continue reading

This past weekend, a movie called “Saw III” was the number one money-maker in American theaters. The movie is one of a genre called slasher films and features copious amounts of terror, blood, and torture. (No, I have not seen… Continue reading

Yesterday, members of the congregation I that I serve as Pastor said, “thank you!” It was an observance of Pastor’s Appreciation Day. I have difficulty accepting affirmation. Since I am the privileged one who gets to do what he loves… Continue reading

The clergyman at the funeral was saying the right kinds of words, but – for me, at least – it was flat, dry, and devoid of the Spirit. I didn’t get the feeling that he thought of God as present… Continue reading