2 Peter 3:8-15a Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise,... Read more
The expression, “the other side of the tracks,” has been around for as long as I can remember. Bloomsbury International (like a number of other sources) notes that, “Some claim that it derives from the fact that in the time of steam trains, the wind blew the soot from the train to one side of the tracks (the railway tracks) meaning that one side would become more polluted and, in turn, this side would then become the poor, industrialised area.” Perhaps. It certainly has become a powerful metaphor for... Read more
Last week I addressed the spiritual realities that will remain unchanged by the election. Perhaps I should have said, if the election ever ends. That said, the campaign itself is over and those truths remain unchanged. But there are also political realities that won’t change after the votes are counted: For every person who voted one way, there is a person who voted the other way. There will be people who believe both candidates represent legitimate concerns. The presidency will will... Read more
Some time ago, Ben Myers, a systematics professor at United Theological College in Sydney, Australia, summarized the Bible, book by book, using Twitter. He did an admirable job of capturing the themes of First and Second Kings: 1 Kings: So, you really want a monarchy huh? Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 2 Kings: I told you so. Read together, the message of those two books could be understood as an endorsement of theocracy (i.e., the direct rule of... Read more
The nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, a devout Roman Catholic, to the Supreme Court has focused attention on how people of faith conduct themselves in public office, particularly when there are specific issues of moral consequence. How do Christians navigate the debate today over the appointment of Supreme Court Justices? Let me suggest how Christians might navigate that issue: I assume that people will live by some kind of imperative or a constellation of imperatives, be they religious or not.... Read more
And if you are a Christian and it doesn’t, it should. But in today’s polarized and polarizing political climate, the faith of our civic servants is even more controversial than when we elected the first Roman Catholic to ever serve as President of the United States. So, Diane Feinstein’s indictment of Amy Coney Barrett back in 2017 wasn’t particularly surprising then, and it isn’t surprising that it has resurfaced. But the controversy surfaces what might seem a pretty thorny... Read more
Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. When he... Read more
With Ashley Mowers Prior to the pandemic, a lot of us lacked any capacity for online ministry. It wasn’t a part of our DNA. Our buildings weren’t equipped for it. Our budgets couldn’t accommodate the costs involved. We thought our demographic didn’t require it. And all of those reasons were bolstered by the theological conviction that virtual ministry lacked an incarnational element. Or so we thought. But Covid-19 and a lot of really bad planning that assumed spiritual... Read more
Covid-19 has presented unexpected challenges at every level of society and the church has not escaped. Exactly what the church will look like after we are able to talk about the pandemic in the past-tense is difficult to say. Until in-person is possible again without any kind of limitations, it is impossible to be sure how many people will return on a regular basis. But it is possible to be a bit clearer about the lessons we have learned... Read more
Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting... Read more
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