How should we pray? What is prayer, anyway? How do we misuse prayer? To answer these questions, Jesus gives us a model prayer to follow in Matthew 6:5-15. Listen to Pastor David’s – and the congregation’s – reflections on prayer:
Posture and LGBT Issues
A friend of mine, a music teacher in Indiana, is working on a master’s degree in his field. Recently, he talked with me about what he is reading and learning in his studies: specifically, the importance of posture.
For an orchestra conductor, posture is extremely important. Every arm movement, every change of stance, even the most minute of gestures can communicate messages instantaneously to the members of the orchestra. Bad posture leads to bad conducting, because the messages communicated by the conductor are confusing and inappropriate. Good posture requires the coordination of many muscle groups throughout the body, which in turn requires exercise and discipline. Conducting is no simple task, and conductors must learn how to pay attention to their posture at all times.
I am concerned that Christians have bad posture when it comes to the LGBT issues that we are facing these days. Continue reading
The Decision
Instead of “another day, another dollar,” today we could say, “another month, another sad story of conflict between police and citizens.”
In recent weeks, we have seen news reports from Texas, where an African-American woman named Sandra Bland was arrested by a Hispanic male state trooper named Brian Encinia. Thanks to today’s technology, we have seen video footage of the conversation, altercation, and arrest. That footage gives us reason to consider our lives and our choices. Continue reading
Giving What Needs to be Given
Jesus commands us to give to others, but we are tempted to seek recognition or to avoid unpleasant people. What should we do? Pastor David answers this question by preaching on Matthew 6:1-4.
Fulfilling the Law, Part 3
We are not persecuted; we are privileged. Even so, Jesus calls us to a radical love for our enemies in Matthew 5:38-48. Listen to Pastor David’s message about how we can and should go about that kind of love.
Fulfilling the Law, Part 2
In a world of adultery, divorce, and empty promises, Jesus calls us to take on his character and to build healthy, reconciled, honest relationships. Listen to Pastor David’s sermon on Matthew 5:27-37.
Giving Jesus a Drink
Racially-motivated shootings. The legalization of same-sex marriages. The fear of Islam encroaching on our religious and personal freedoms. A sixteen-month-long presidential election cycle that will divide the nation into two broad camps.
We have many reasons to distance ourselves from other people, reasons which have had a lot of air time in recent days.
But from a Christian perspective – and from my inherited perspective of white, male privilege – I wonder what our response to these things should be. If you are involved in social media at all, you have likely seen more than enough responses to any or all of these topics in the past week or so. Many of these have been so angry and dismissive that it grieves my heart.
Let me offer an alternative response: the example of Jesus in John 4. Continue reading
Change in the Church of God
Real, substantive, meaningful change. That’s what we are hoping for, and that’s what we began to see in the Church of God Convention last week in Oklahoma City.
This was the second year in a row that the major CHOG Convention was held outside of our home base in Anderson, Indiana. Attendance was up, excitement was up, unity was up. Mean attitudes or doubting spirits were less present this year, compared to last year when the change was still fresh and not well understood. Continue reading
Church of God Convention Recap
Last week’s convention in Oklahoma City gave Pastor David a few solid takeaways that will affect our life together at Mt. Haley. Listen in to his reflections on this meaningful event!
Fulfilling the Law, Part 1
Jesus calls us to righteousness and reconciliation. In the wake of the Charleston, SC murders, how then shall we live as disciples of Jesus? Listen to Pastor David’s sermon on Matthew 5:17-26.