Lover of us all, whose perfect love casts out all fear, we gather today remembering how our lives changed ten years ago. Only a day before, all seemed right with the world, and we were filled with anticipation and hope. And then, on the morning of September 11, planes became missiles and the twin towers […]
At age 51, it’s time to give up the hope of EVER being cool. Yes, I admit, I have been a coolness wanna be for far longer than I would like to admit. I have sought after the mantle of hipness, wanting to hang with the the cutting edge kids who are pushing the limits […]
At age 51, it’s time to give up the hope of EVER being cool. Yes, I admit, I have been a coolness wanna be for far longer than I would like to admit. I have sought after the mantle of hipness, wanting to hang with the the cutting edge kids who are pushing the limits […]
The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord, our God, who sits enthroned on high, but lowers himself to consider the heavens and the earth. God takes up the weak out of the dirt, and lifts the poor from the ashes, setting them with the […]
In my previous post I raised some questions related to a statement that Amy DeLong made in regards to change and grace. Several folks have rightly suggested that I took the sentence in question out of context, and that Amy was obviously referring to change in regards to GLBT folks who have spent their lives […]
Earlier today, a buddy of mine sent me a link to an interview on the Believe OutLoud website with Amy DeLong, who was recently tried for being an open lesbian and for performing same-sex marriage/covenant ceremonies. In the end, she was acquitted on the first charge for she refused to talk about her sexual practices […]
33Instead, desire first and foremost God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore, stop worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. —Matthew 6:33-34 The Christianity that I grew up with was always looking to the future. “When […]
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how will it become salty again? It’s good for nothing except to be thrown away and trampled under people’s feet. 14 You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can’t be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and […]
One of the hallmarks of my ministry as a solo pastor is that I have been sent to congregations that at sometime in their life have been growing and thriving places but due to difficult pastoral appointments, changes in community community demographics, and poor decision making at crucial times along the way, these congregations now […]
I think I may be old enough to be her grandfather, but Sarah Jarocz’s talent and songwriting chops are blowing me away these days. I’ve you haven’t heard her yet, you should pick up her latest album. Here’s a link to the album on Amazon.
This morning I am struck by the first verse of Matthew 4, which sets up the story of Christ’s temptation in the wilderness: Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil (diabolou) might tempt him. (Mt. 4:1 CEB) This verse opens up many questions, such as why the Spirit of […]
Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to be baptized by John. He said to them, “You children of snakes! Who warned you to escape from the angry judgment that is coming soon? Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives.—Matthew 3:7-8 I wonder if the Pharisees and Sadducees had any clue what they were […]
This morning I was surprised to get a bunch of Facebook hits from friends congratulating me for being mentioned in one of Brian McLaren’s latest posts on his site. I have to confess that I was a bit shocked. I consider Brian a friend, although it isn’t like we hang out very often. We’ve worked […]
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. 2 They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and […]
19 Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly.—Matthew 1:19 (CEB) Matthew’s story of Jesus begins with fathers. At the very beginning, before anything else is said, Matthew provides a genealogical record of Jesus’ ancestry, trying Jesus back to Abraham through the […]
Hi, my name is Jay. I am undisciplined. I hate to admit it, but I struggle with consistency in my devotional life. It’s not that I don’t want to be engaged in seeking after God. No, my problem is that I often get bored in maintaining a consistent practice. I will settle on one approach, […]
I was in a Justice For Our Neighbors meeting last week (an amazing faith-based organization that is providing counsel and assistance on legal issues to immigrants) when I learned about a young lady named Mercedes Gonzalez. Mercedes was brought to the U.S. when she was 2 and has been a successful newcomer to Nashville. She […]
Editor’s Note: It must have been late last night because I posted this on the wrong blog. I’ll be removing this from Just Nashville, which is generally focused on Nashville advocacy. The comments in italics below represent some additional commentary on the first post. –jv It’s late and I don’t have the energy to think […]
only wonder understands