Far Too Easily Pleased
Perhaps the most important paradigm shift that you and I need to make in our default way of thinking in order for our thinking to be converted to a Christian way of thinking is shifting to thinking of joy as something that can exist IN THE MIDST of suffering, not after it. Basically it’s the shift from either/or thinking to both/and. It’s easy to think, “when the anxiety is over, then I’ll experience joy.” Or “when the suffering is…
The Stations of the Cross
[We’re grateful for the beautiful art created by Scott Erickson @scottthepainter] The “Stations of the Cross” mark some of the critical scenes in the final moments of Christ’s ministry – his suffering and his death. You’re invited to enter into this story by viewing these images and reading these portions of scripture. As you spend time with this art and with these words from the Bible, remember this: Jesus suffered and died for the sin of the whole world. Every…
Communion at Home
Well friends…we’ve never been here before! So we will adapt. Realizing these are extraordinary times, we’ll pray for grace to make appropriate accommodations to our community’s worship practice. This Sunday, we’re live-streaming our “gathering” to be experienced by our church community in our homes. Part of this Sunday’s experience will be the celebration of communion. I will be leading our celebration, consecrating (setting apart) the elements, and inviting you to serve one another wherever you are. Since we cannot gather…
Holy Communion at Emmaus
(We wrote and discussed the following position paper in late 2004 when our church was gathering as a small group in a home.) Our desire is to view and share in the Sacrament of Holy Communion in a way that is grounded in God’s Word, shaped by Early Church practice and teaching, and in harmony with Nazarene tradition. Our hope (and challenge) is to express our view and practice of Communion in a way that best communicates the truth and mystery…
Growing Closer to God is Not the Goal (There’s Something Bigger)
The goal… The goal of the church… The goal of prayer… The goal of preaching… The goal of worship… is not for us to just grow closer to God. The goal is to make a difference in everyday life. The goal is the restoration of all things. This is why Jesus teaches his disciples to pray “Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” Have you ever heard someone say, “I feel…
The Solid Life is Built by Practicing Jesus’ Teachings
It’s one thing to know what Jesus taught. It’s something entirely different to do what Jesus taught. This is the difference – the ONLY difference – between the life that stands up to adversity and the life that crashes under it’s pressures, according to Jesus (Matthew 7:24-27). Christians can easily hide our lack of obedience to Jesus’ teachings behind all of our talking about Jesus’ teachings. Jesus calls this “foolish.” He says this lack of “putting [his] words into practice”…
The Ramifications of Resurrection
In the first recorded sermons of the Church (you can read these in the New Testament book called Acts), we hear how the first Christians’ whole understanding and practice was built on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And not only did they consistently proclaim the reality of the resurrection, they also named specific ways the resurrection made an impact on their daily lives. Here’s a summary of their teachings: