“But there’s a difference in these words expectation and hope. When I expect something, I’m nearly certain it will arrive. When I hope for something, I am less sure about it. My expectations around the season are tactical, what will happen where and when. My hopes go deeper. Perhaps expectations are how we want things […]
Category: Faith
Interpreting Music in Worship
Nearly all of this post is excerpted from this much deeper post from Concordia University Irvine. “Using the song “Reckless Love,” let’s explore this phenomenon and consider 3 different perspectives of meaning: (1) the songwriter’s, (2) the text’s, and (3) the participant’s. At the heart of the controversy is the song’s use of the word […]
Given and Taken
Love God the most. To love something or someone else more leads to suffocation – or at the least disappointment, etc. God is the only source of lasting fulfillment & satisfaction.
Spiritual Gifts
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
Lavish Sower
The parable of the sower didn’t make sense! No one in their right mind would waste precious seeds by spreading them in areas where plants could not grow. However, there was a purpose!
Messy Tables
It was a long and messy prayer around the table – we laughed, talked about stuff, got off-topic, and we prayed. Some of us started eating before we were done praying, but that was legit. That dinner was awesome.
Cultural Lies: Believe the Science
Science was never meant to take on religious tones. We all believe in something, and we all wrestle with unknowns, meaning, and purpose. The truth is important. Science, over the course of history, has often gotten things wrong.
Cultural Lies #3
This struggle for identity is common to all humankind. To reject our identities as God’s children, we necessarily have to accept other bases for our identities. The thing is – God does not change. Everything else does!
Cultural Lies #2
If there are no bad choices, then all the choices are good. This would lead to chaos! Communities would fracture because our human nature is to make choices that are best for “me.”