Pursuing a holistic expression of Christian faith that is true to the Bible and applicable for today’s world.
In the diminutive book, The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence shares his experience of essentially living much of his life while in the presence of God. For most of his adulthood, Brother Lawrence worked as a monastery cook. As he attended to his daily duties in the kitchen, he gradually learned how […]
In the developed world, especially the United States, size is celebrated. If something is big, we judge it as good. If it’s bigger, we applaud it as better. And if it’s the biggest, we acclaim it as the best. People equate size with success. Churches fall into this same trap. If a church is big, […]
One of the disservices of the modern era was dividing life into secular and spiritual, of splitting our existence, behavior, and reality into separate realms of activity. Premodern man had no such illusions; neither did ancient man before that. To them, everything was spiritual. If you don’t believe me, consider all the spiritual lessons and […]
On September 11, while others in the United States remembered the anniversary of a national tragedy, my wife and I celebrated the birth of our first grandson. I waited a long time for him, not with any sense of urgency but with much anticipation for the joy his arrival would bring. Now he’s here, and […]
Many people think that singing songs in church is worshiping God. They’re right, but there’s more. Other people call the entire church service, “worship,” as in “Our worship service is at ten.” I suppose they’re right, too. But there’s more to worship than a one hour a week effort. Ideally, everything we do, say, and […]
What was the original purpose of Sunday school? Religious instruction, right? No, not at all. The initial goal of Sunday school was to provide basic academic instruction to poor children. Sunday school started as a philanthropic effort, not as religious instruction. Teaching underprivileged kids to read was a key means to empower them so they […]
Most churches in the United States structure themselves around the nuclear family. The mindset of these churches assumes married couples; their programming assumes children. While covering the majority of attendees in most congregations, this ignores several overlooked groups. First, there are childless couples. Some are childless by circumstance. Each time there’s a plea to serve […]
Fold Hands, Close Eyes, and Bow Head I’ve blogged about the use and meaning of amen, and shared how amen is used in the Bible: primarily as a way to end a prayer. Three more prayer conventions perplex me as well. The first is to fold our hands while praying, the second is to close […]
When I think about it, the word “amen” perplexes me. Out of training and convention, I say “amen” at the end of a prayer, as if it means “Goodbye, God” or “I’m done, now.” Not only does saying amen tell God my prayer is over, it also lets others know to open their eyes. It’s […]
Sometimes words and phrases evoke emotions in people beyond what they mean. A friend recently blogged about how the word “worship” has a negative meaning for her. Although understanding what she meant—and empathizing a bit—I didn’t think too much more about her post until a while later when I recalled my own issues with the […]