If we were to ask “what is the political agenda of the gospel” we might examine the gospel narrative attributed to Matthew. Indeed many squirm at the thought of the gospel having a political agenda. Those claiming a Christian identity might say the gospel is above politics, while those of a more secular-mind might say […]
Tag: Discipleship
On Time
Our perspective of time, for the most part, is confined to our shared mortal experience of circling around the sun on this terrestrial ball. While reflecting on the Church Calendar and its seasons over the past year, I have thought about this occasionally. Our ability to understand the infinite is extremely limited. The concept of […]
On Christ the King
The Church Year comes to a close with the final Sunday being dedicated to Christ the King. It is one of the newest holy days on the calendar, having been added after World War I as a way to remind us that the kingdoms of this world are temporal and that the only Kingdom we […]
On Calls to Action
October 31st is Reformation Day (and also All Saints Day Eve, which these days is affectionately known as Halloween). This blog started as a reflection on the 500th anniversary of the birth of the Protestant Reformation in 2017, and I’d like to think the reformation spirit is still at the root of these writings, even […]
On Biblical Aspirations
Some churches and their congregants strive to “live biblically”, and while this is perhaps a noble sounding mantra, it can also lead us down a dangerous path far from the Christ-following faith towards which we are called. The concept of living biblically is one where Christians reestablish a rule structure in-line with specific commands in […]
On Creation
For nearly a year, I have been writing blog posts about the Church Calendar. It has been a mix of reflections on the seasons of the Church Year, ponderings on particularly special days, and more recently exhortations regarding church-life (during this long period of Ordinary Time). There are still a few church-life topics I’d like […]
On Church Worship
During this year in which I have been pondering the Church Calendar and its seasons, I’ve also been thinking a bit about church worship services in general. How do we keep our worship practices rooted in the Universal Church, which receives direct nourishment from the Holy Spirit of God? One of the arguments against the […]
On Going It Alone
Much of society has come to celebrate the role of the individual. We love stories that revolve around the solo renegade, the superhero, the maverick, the main character. Meanwhile, the ideals of community and togetherness, while not necessarily destained, rarely receive the same spotlight treatment. Institutions like churches often struggle in this environment. That is, […]
On Ordinary Time
The season of Ordinary Time has arrived. Nowadays though many liturgical cycles call this time of the Church Year “the time after Pentecost” since that sounds more lively and less, well, ordinary. My personal preference is for the old, boring phrase though, and let me explain why. First, the work that God is doing in […]
On the Spirit of Pentecost
The midway point of the Church Calendar is marked with the holy day of Pentecost. On this day, Christians that honor liturgical traditions celebrate the receiving of the Holy Spirit. The most common story told on this day comes from the gospel writer Luke’s sequel: The Acts of the Apostles. The gospel text attributed to […]
Relevant Reformation 