Mixed Up Priorities
One thing the church has often suffered from is mixed up priorities. We prioritize perfect doctrine over listening to Jesus. We cherish being right over obeying the commands of Jesus. We also tend to miss prioritize Jesus’ words. His last command in that upper room was to love one another as He has loved us.Continue reading “Mixed Up Priorities”
Divisiveness
We live in a world, and country, that is greatly divided in 2022. Unfortunately Christians seem to be increasingly following that trend, and not leading in the other direction. Sadly we seem willing to be divided by the same things that our nation is divided by, politics and political view points. What are your viewsContinue reading “Divisiveness”
The Horror of Mass Shootings and the Pervasiveness of Sin
In the late 19th, with the advent of Darwin’s “The Origin of the Species,” in which he details his views on how species evolve. At the same time the world’s philosophers were on the cusp of “The Age of Enlightenment,” which could also be known as the age of reason and science. The intellectual community,Continue reading “The Horror of Mass Shootings and the Pervasiveness of Sin”
I am Not a Social Scientist,…But
Less than two weeks after the tragedy in Buffalo a deranged individual killed 19 children and 2 teachers. Sadly this is nothing new. Sandy Hook elementary, Virginia Tech, Las Vegas, El Paso Texas and the list goes on and on. There is a crisis in America and at its core it is a spiritual crisis.Continue reading “I am Not a Social Scientist,…But”
The Problem of “church”
I’ve spent more than four decades as a pastor in various “churches.” In that time I’ve come to understand that people have many different understandings of what a church is. Some see it as a religious vehicle that is transport them to a spiritual realm. Others as a place where their needs are met. IfContinue reading “The Problem of “church””
When Life Is At It’s Worst
There are times when faith is easy. Those are the times when nothing is on the line, or when we’ve had a mountain top experience. In those moments of easy faith, we tend to think that we are growing a lot in our faith. Yet it is in the times of stressful faith, when itContinue reading “When Life Is At It’s Worst”
Pomp and Circumstance They Can Be Addicting
There is a rhythm to the church year, at least in denominational churches. We move from Advent to Christmas then on to Lent and Easter and then to Pentecost. We have these “high” moments in the church year and then… Then things can get a little stale and we can too. To avoid this stalenessContinue reading “Pomp and Circumstance They Can Be Addicting”
Where Is God in This Broken World
Whether we like it, whether or not we think about it, Covid has dominated our thinking over the last two years. The only thing that has distracted us has been the war in Ukraine. So much for distractions. Yet God is the same as He was yesterday, today, and forever. With all of the brokennessContinue reading “Where Is God in This Broken World”
Lenton Devotional #3
Unfortunately I don’t know how to add a picture to this site so you will need to go to gumchurch.com to see the picture. Lent is a unique time in the church year. We concentrate on opening ourselves up to God. We are taught to allow God to examine our hearts, our thoughts, and ourContinue reading “Lenton Devotional #3”
Lenten Devotional #2
One of the misconceptions about Lent is that it is all about feeling guilty. Kind of like the song that the knights sang in that classical musical “Camelot.” “I want to spend a tortured evening staring at the floor guilty and alive once more.” The idea was that if you were feeling guilty then youContinue reading “Lenten Devotional #2”
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