Church Blog
Resting in Anticipation
Out of all the chapters in this section, I was most excited for rest. I thought to myself, I’ve got this in the bag! Naps have always been my jam. Rest is one of my strongest skills because I can nap anywhere at anytime…
Fasting in Anticipation
I confess, I’m a little bit of a YouTube junkie. I don’t know when it all began exactly—probably sometime during the Pandemic. You remember, don’t you? When there wasn’t much else to do.
Restaurants were closed. Shopping for anything but groceries seemed impossible. Searching for that hard-to-find toilet paper, which seemed to turn into gold overnight, was the only adventure we could hope for. Sadder yet, we couldn’t even go to church!
But there was one thing alive and well—the Beloved Internet…
Gathering in Anticipation
“Are we there yet?!” … “Ugh… when are we going to get there?!”... Do these questions sound familiar? Just imagine those little toddler legs jamming into your back from the seat behind you with a force that is shockingly strong as screams erupt from the back seat. Close your eyes and think back to that time when a shower of goldfish crackers sprayed across the car as the children fought in that small confined vehicle… Yup, you are on a family road trip. And while the tired cliche resounds in your mind that ‘the journey is more important than the destination’ you think, “I can’t wait to finally get to where we are going and get out of this God-forsaken car!”
The journey to our final destination can be difficult at times, so we need to have some structure to help us along the way.
The Resurrecting One
For those of you who are reading through our Spring Resource, I am sure this week’s topic on the book was an encouragement to you—I know it was for me.
This year, I am turning forty, and I am already feeling it (I can sense the eyes-rolling already as you think, “Wait until you hit my age”). At some point in your life, you get past that age where you feel immortal. And you begin to feel the weight of the fall in your body.
But even beyond this inescapable life experience, what we also feel is loss of loved ones. We see the pain and struggle of others. And internally, we feel what the apostle Paul described—and the author of this book pointed out—as a groaning inside of us. A groaning over the pain and struggle we feel and a groaning for something better.
Jesus: The Judge
There was a good portion of my life that I spent with one foot in the church and one foot in the world. I compulsively fit in wherever I found myself, regardless of whether I should or even wanted to fit in. I had some measure of belief in Jesus, but what I really believed in was the opinions of others. I embraced a superficial level of worship in the church that would be enough for anyone around to think, “Wow, he’s a good kid.” In other contexts, I embraced a level of recklessness and experimentation with all sorts of sinful and destructive behaviors that let my peers know that I was “cool.”
Anyone who has lived like that for any amount of time knows the fear you feel of ever being found out. Would anyone in my church find out that I really wasn’t “good” and how devastating would their judgment feel? Or would people outside the church find out that I actually regret my actions and that I’m not “cool”? Not to mention I wasn’t even sure what version of me was the real me. I’m so thankful that God guided me through a process of healing all the fractured parts of my life.
Jesus: The Bridegroom
This week, we look at chapter five of “Bright Hope for Tomorrow,” where author Chris Davis highlights for us the scriptural image of Jesus’ return as The Bridegroom.
To be honest, I was apprehensive about having to write a review on this chapter. I think I would have been more comfortable writing about, The Warrior King section. I admittedly had the presumption, that this would be a soft, feel-good, “Jesus is my husband”, kind of chapter. And, as a single woman, having to reflect on this subject, I felt an extra tinge of cliché or worse, outright cringe.
The Warrior King
I’m going to be honest. I really didn’t get Jesus as the Warrior King.
In the second section of this book. The author is exploring different metaphors that the Bible presents to help us better understand Jesus when he returns. Chapter Four is all about the first metaphor which is Jesus as the Warrior King. Now, when I said that I don’t get it, I do not mean that I don’t know what a warrior king is. I have seen Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers where the King of Rohan and Aragorn lock hands exclaiming that they will fight to the end for their people. I have read the many biblical passages of David conquering his enemies.
What Do You Expect?
The older I get the more I tend to lower my expectations. No need to get all worked up about something only to have my hopes dashed. Such was the case with my last high tea experience. I’d been dreaming of this new location for at least a year. But, having been to many tea rooms over the years, I’ve been both delighted and disappointed.
So, to keep my expectations in check, I researched all that I could to ensure the best experience possible. My daughter and longtime tea partner also researched. Compiling info from Facebook and Yelp, we had some concerns. The pictures showed meager portions, and the drive would take at least fifty minutes. Would the time and money spent be worth it?…
The Day of The Lord
Imagine for a moment that you are walking down 99E here in Canby–avoiding the many cones and potholes all over the place– and a moment later you arrive at the Canby Area Transit bus stop. As you wait to get picked up, you see the green and white CAT bus coming down the highway at the usual 35-40 miles an hour. You are excited to see the bus because when it gets to the stop that means you can hop on and get that smooth ride over to Eco Park to play some disc golf (or whatever you’re into… I don’t know).
But just then. As the bus approaches, a person who is completely distracted as they stare at their phone, is about to walk out into 99E in front of the oncoming bus.
Dark Despair & Bright Hope
“If I know -BLANK- is coming, [we reason] I can make it through today (Pg 2).”
Since this is the first review for this Spring Resource, let me start by saying that I am excited to experience this journey together through this helpful book on the return of Christ. The author made it clear in the introduction that his intention is not to get into the debates regarding “how” or “when” Christ will return. Instead, his aim is to look at this vital topic and see how it transforms our daily life.
Why We’re Not Preaching on the Woman Caught in Adultery
The next pericope (or section) in John’s gospel, 7:53-8:11, is undeniably one of the most beloved stories about Jesus. The story famously known as The Woman Caught in Adultery.
Unfortunately, it isn’t a story that exists in the earliest manuscripts of the Bible that are available. Which leads Bible scholars to several conclusions regarding its validity in Holy Scripture and prominence in Christian teaching. And because of this, many Bible translations have included notes about it, including the ESV that we use.
An Enduring Legacy: Celebrating 130 Years of Ministry
There is an old saying, “A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.”
The trees we are gathered under today were planted decades ago by people who likely knew that they would never enjoy the shade we do today. And yet, they planted and cared for them for years. As we celebrate the 130th anniversary of when our church was first incorporated in 1893, we acknowledge that there were pioneer people who planted a church in which we all enjoy the shade of today…
Should Christians celebrate Halloween?
What should we as Christians think about cultural, national, or religious holidays and celebrations? Should a Christian celebrate Halloween? What about other holidays that are observed in our society like Thanksgiving, Independence Day, or Veterans Day? These are essential questions for us to consider as we navigate being both in the world but not of the world (John 17:14).
The Danger of Santa Claus
As a kid, I can still remember my parents and grandparents yelling out the phrase, “If you don’t behave Santa won’t bring you any presents on Christmas.” Is this a good way to teach our children to make good choices? Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing inherently wrong or sinful about watching or reading the heart-warming stories about Santa Claus, his magical elves, or flying reindeer. In fact, these stories which have developed into a fun and fantastical mythology have their origin in the real generosity of a third-century Christian man named Saint Nicholas of Myra. The story of Santa can be very entertaining and even promote good moral decision-making, but there are several problems that arise when we present the fairytale of Santa Claus as factual and then use that story as a means to disciple children.