This is a series about women in ministry. I have found that in most evangelical circles, women who are in ministry do not have the same opportunities as men. Why is this? It comes from a deep seeded belief that core leadership of a biblical church is found in men alone. Women are equal in worth to God, but are limited in their function within the body of Christ. Here is the kicker, I think that Scripture might tell a... Read more
Word Study, 1 Thessalonians 4.17 Below is a Word Study that I did based on 1 Thessalonians 4.17. What is interesting to me is how it reinforced my belief that the “rapture” as it is popularly understood (Jesus secretly returns to extract believers from earth to heaven for eternity) is completely unwarranted. If you choose to follow the logic below, you will know why 🙂 (more…) Read more
As I look at my own religious tradition and begin to contemplate the book titled, Canaan Land: A Religious History of African Americans, by Albert J. Raboteau; it would be easy for me to say that this book does not relate to my experiences at all. I am a middle class white person of Mennonite Brethren decent. Never did I experience systemic racism, slavery, or discrimination. My racial identity has never been a limitation on opportunities for success and living... Read more
This is a sermon I gave yesterday at my Grandpa’s funeral. He was an amazing man of God and after reading this you will know why… _____________________________________________________ Life is a Journey – The Legacy of Corny Penner It was a day that would define the rest of my life. From the broom-shop (our family trade) to the house, my grandma was nowhere to be found. I was six… I was curious… And therefore needed my grandma Margaret to answer a... Read more
What follows is a manuscript from a sermon I have preached on a few occasions. I walk through the whole book of Philemon. Love to have you follow along in this series. My prayer is that it will inspire you to “forgive as you have been forgiven…” The rest of the 5 part series is here. ——————————————————————————————- At the core of the message of Jesus is one of reconciliation: he put back together our broken relationship with God through his... Read more
I have not always had many of the more ‘controversial’ views that I hold today. For most of my life, I embraced a typical evangelical stance on everything from theology to politics. However, as I have been engaging the Scriptures for the past 6 years, my views on several (not all) of these issues have transitioned in significant ways. One distinctive that is more than obvious is that I finally chose to embrace my Anabaptist roots. As a child and... Read more
What follows is a manuscript from a sermon I have preached on a few occasions. I walk through the whole book of Philemon. Love to have you follow along in this series. My prayer is that it will inspire you to “forgive as you have been forgiven…” The rest of the 5 part series is here. ——————————————————————————————- 12I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could... Read more
If you are new to this site, I want to personally welcome you here! Thanks for reading my article at Sojourners, and I hope that you will enjoy other things that have been written here. For those who are regulars, feel free to check out my article called: “Why Christianity and July 4th are Incompatable” over at Jim Wallis‘ Sojourners website! Would love to have some of your feedback there! Blessings! Read more
I want to start out this post with a huge disclaimer… what I am about to say may sound radical or irrational to some. I also want to say that I have a great respect for those who differ with me on this issue that I am about to discuss, so I invite your ideas on this post as well. Finally, I have a great deal of respect for those who are Christians and who ‘support’ military and our troops.... Read more
What follows is a manuscript from a sermon I have preached on a few occasions. I walk through the whole book of Philemon. Love to have you follow along in this series. My prayer is that it will inspire you to “forgive as you have been forgiven…” The rest of the 5 part series is here. ——————————————————————————————- Paul wrote this letter as a personal note to a dear friend named Philemon who was the leader of a house church in... Read more
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