Setting the Stage. This week, we begin to examine worship and the various forms it can assume. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines worship first as, “to honor or show reverence for a divine being or supernatural power.” This definition applies when we intentionally spend time with God (or any other deity the worshiping person is addressing); … Continue reading “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:20 // Worship
Category: General
“…Go and do likewise.” / Luke 10:30-37 // The Good Samaritan (a radical story)
A Wonderful Story. Most people have at least heard of the Good Samaritan and his story, but let’s do a quick review: “… Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest … Continue reading “…Go and do likewise.” / Luke 10:30-37 // The Good Samaritan (a radical story)
“For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land.” Deuteronomy 15:11 / Need
Prologue. Last week our Exploring Christianity post dealt with the story of the Good Samaritan and its meaning for our lives today. The point of the post was to highlight the hypocrisy rampant in the religious practices and attitudes of Jesus’ day, where supposedly “religious” people could ignore the plight of those truly in need … Continue reading “For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land.” Deuteronomy 15:11 / Need
“Truly I tell you, today, you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43 / Redemption
Prologue. One of my friends recently engaged me in a discussion about Redemption. Specifically, they wanted to discuss “death bed conversions.” Their question was, “Can someone who’s not been a Christian suddenly ‘convert’ as they are dying? And, can that person then go to Heaven?” Their observation was that such a conversion seemed somehow to … Continue reading “Truly I tell you, today, you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43 / Redemption
“Are we there yet?!?” / A common family refrain
The following first appeared in the Christian Blog, Coracle published by Smyth & Helwys. I wrote this as an homage to all the family journeys that will take place this Summer of 2019. ******************************************************************************************************************* Summertime is here. And the Great American Migration (aka summer vacation travel) is about to begin. Along with this annual Rite … Continue reading “Are we there yet?!?” / A common family refrain
“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.” Psalm 98:4 / Singing as Worship
Singing As Worship. This week we resume our series on Worship by focusing on Singing as a form of Worship. For me, the music portions of church services have always been very important. I recognize that some denominations allow singing, but without musical accompaniment. There are others which eschew singing and music altogether in an … Continue reading “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.” Psalm 98:4 / Singing as Worship
“Test me in this says the Lord Almighty…” Malachi 3:10 / Turning to God for Comfort, Part II
Last week, we began our series on Turning to God for Comfort by defining “need,” “distress,” and “comfort.” We also considered the question, “Why are we so distressed?” This week we’ll address the second question raised in last week’s post, “Why is it so difficult for us to accept and recognize His “comfort?” A True … Continue reading “Test me in this says the Lord Almighty…” Malachi 3:10 / Turning to God for Comfort, Part II
“Your word is a light unto my feet, and a lamp for my path.” Psalm 119:105 / Study as Worship
Worship. This post continues our series on Worship. Previously we considered Individual and Corporate Worship (Post 48, 05/10/2019), Prayer as Worship (Post 49, 05/17/2019), and Singing as Worship (Post 54, 06/22/2019). This week we will look at Study and how it also is a form of Worship. The Bible is filled with scriptures advising us … Continue reading “Your word is a light unto my feet, and a lamp for my path.” Psalm 119:105 / Study as Worship
“So…whatever you do, do it for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 / Worship at all Times
Recap. In some of our more recent posts, we have focused on different ways in which we can express our worship of God. While there are several definitions of worship, for this series, we defined it (Post 48, May 10, 2019), as “…spending time with God. Or…to be in intentional communion with Him.” Using this … Continue reading “So…whatever you do, do it for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 / Worship at all Times
“However, they did not all heed the good news…” Romans 10:16 / Confronting an Unbeliever
The Problem of Atheism. Atheism has been on my mind recently. Any Christian is bound to encounter people who do not share their faith. Christianity is the most widely-observed religion in the world, but the majority of the population either is not Christian or expresses disbelief in religion altogether. Atheism is a topic that offers … Continue reading “However, they did not all heed the good news…” Romans 10:16 / Confronting an Unbeliever
