Posts from 2014

Two beliefs shape the specific way we approach worship in our community. The first (I’ll address the second in another post) is this: We approach worship as a rhythm, not as an event. Increasingly, approaching worship as a rhythm, or a pattern, or a habit, or a ritual (in the best sense of the word) is rare in our culture. Our culture is shifting toward seeing worship as an event. What’s the difference? And event is an exception.  A rhythm is the rule. Events can also…

I struggle nearly every Sunday to “want” to go to church. There’s a battle that happens in my soul while I’m showering and shaving early, in the dark, before anyone else is awake. Sometimes it’s pretty intense. But every single Sunday, by the time I step out of my truck and walk into the building, I’m ready. I’m excited. I want to be there. And this is why: I believe that what I’m about to do matters. I believe it…

You’ve seen those shirts that say, “Football is life…” And you understand that for some, football spreads over all of life, colors all of life, becomes a pervasive reality, is always on their minds… But you also understand that, at the core, football is a very specific and well-defined experience. The game literally happens in a dedicated space: there are boundary lines drawn on a field, there’s a clock that marks the start and completion of the event. There are…

When Simon confesses the truth (Matthew 16:16), Jesus names him “Rock” (greek: Petra; or Peter).Moments later (16:23) when Simon’s own desires cloud the truth, Jesus calls him “Satan.”Fascinating, isn’t it, that our identity could be so rooted in our confession? -Nate