Posts Tagged ‘Christian Service’
I Call Her “Blessed”
Today my mother is 98 years old. I wrote about her a couple of years ago in “Teach Us to Number Our Days.” In that post, I described my mother’s shrinking world with memory loss and limited mobility, urging us all to use our days wisely in the Lord’s service. In today’s post, I want…
Read MoreLoving God
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. Mark 12:30 A scribe asked Jesus, Which is the first commandment of all (Mark 12:28)? Most Christians will affirm that they love God?…
Read MoreOur Great Obligation
On one occasion, Jesus entered the house of a Pharisee, Simon by name, for an evening dinner. No doubt you know the story. A woman “in the city, which was a sinner” came with an alabaster box of ointment with which she anointed Jesus’ feet (along with her tears). Besides this, she kept wiping his…
Read MoreHow the Church Works
Can you guess what my favorite television program was as a child? Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood! I appreciated how he spoke in a gentle, patient manner and focused on thoughtful, reassuring conversations. One of my favorite parts of the program was the occasional trip that he’d take to a factory or store to show how they…
Read MoreThe Unexpected Road
An unexpected crisis, a frustrating detour, or a messy stumbling-block, can send us into a tailspin. Things like pandemics really play havoc with our 21st Century sensibilities. Our autonomous lifestyle rebels and shouts that this should not be happening to us. The present Coronavirus intrusion bedevils the pop philosophy that tells us we should live…
Read MoreCultivating Righteous Desires
I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh… Romans 9:1-3 The statement made here…
Read MoreCalling Young Men to the Work
Our friend Kevin Schaal gave us a motivating piece on Monday, “We Need More Pastors, Where Are They?” As we age, those of us in the ministry become more and more concerned with succession. (Not that we usurp our congregations! But we are looking out over the horizon to see if there are any ships…
Read MoreCommitted to Mutual Ministry
Once upon a time, the Little Red Hen found a grain of wheat. “Who will help me plant this grain of wheat?” she asked. “Not I,” said the cat. “Not I,” said the goose. “Not I,” said the rat. “Then I will plant this grain of wheat by myself,” said Little Red Hen, and she…
Read MoreWhat Use is Confinement in the Lord’s Service?
Following his bold testimony at the Diet of Worms, in order to protect him, friends had Martin Luther imprisoned in Wartburg Castle. Initially, he did not know who had captured him or where he was confined. While the drama of the Reformation raged on in the world outside, Luther remained in seclusion for nearly a…
Read MoreTentmaking Ministry in the 21st Century
(Thoughts on Full-Time Vocational Ministry versus Bi-Vocational Ministry) When I was in high school, my plan was to head towards the Georgia Institute of Technology so that I could become an engineer. My senior year of high school the Lord changed everything. He called me to preach at the beginning of that year. I walked…
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