[Editor's Note: This is a slightly edited sermon manuscript.] This sermon is going to be as easy as 1, 2, 3. In fact, that is the outline: 1, 2, 3. I want to present you with one “WHAT,” two “SO WHATS,” and three “NOW WHATS" for Easter. So, let’s begin with the one “WHAT” of Easter. WHAT is Easter all about? One WHAT: Jesus is risen. The resurrection, before it is … [Read more...] about Easter in One, Two, Three
Reading the Law
Reading through the Old Testament Law can be a hair-raising, brow-furrowing experience. In it we encounter strange sights and smells, embarrassingly graphic details and prescriptions, and seemingly unbendable strictness that can be scary. What should we make of this ancient code? How do we navigate it? In this article I won't pretend to give the definitive, exhaustive … [Read more...] about Reading the Law
In Any Case
"In any case…in any case…in any case." I heard a professor say this transitional statement over and over throughout one of his lectures on the Book of Acts. Why? Because, in each instance, he was discussing some question of geography or history or whatever else that had no bearing on the meaning of the text. He would say something like, "This word may be rooted in … [Read more...] about In Any Case
Worry as a Verb
I tend to think of worry exclusively as a noun, as a thing that happens to me, like an emotion that comes over me which I am helpless to stop. But that is not the full story on worry. Worry is also a verb. If worry is also a verb, then I must also admit I have a choice in the matter. I can give in to worry, set myself up to keep worrying, stay in that spot that … [Read more...] about Worry as a Verb
The Post-Quarantine Church
What comes next for the church? Thom Rainer's answer: Change. In The Post-Quarantine Church, Rainer considers what these changes might look like. While challenges certainly abound, he invites us to look for the opportunities that will come along as well. As a sample, here is a list of "nine key changes" Rainer mentions at the end (pp. 102-109): Simplicity will be … [Read more...] about The Post-Quarantine Church