Jesus’s prayer in John 17 is a commissioning prayer for his disciples. How does Jesus create a community of people to follow in his footsteps? Listen to Pastor David’s sermon on this passage.
When Will We Have Peace?
On this final Sunday of Advent, Pastor David preaches from Psalm 85 on the topic of peace. How does this psalm point us to God’s activity in the past, present, and future? How is it fulfilled in Jesus Christ?
Healing Service – Beams of Heaven
Jesus never heals people just for their own benefit. Before we prayed for healing in several people’s lives, Pastor David gave this reflection on Matthew 8:1-17. Here we find four times Jesus healed people, but always so they could give a testimony to God’s work in their lives.
Thoughts from the Shalem Conference
Last weekend, I attended a conference in Rockville, Maryland – where it was sunny and hot, nearly 90 degrees! – hosted by the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. As their website says, “Shalem is grounded in Christian contemplative spirituality yet draws on the wisdom of many religious traditions.” I would guess, simply based on observation, that the vast majority of the 150+ attendees to this conference are Christians, but they practice Christianity in a way that is a bit different than how you and I usually practice it.
I attended this conference in order to fulfill a requirement for my current Doctor of Ministry “independent study” course. I designed this course a few months ago, in consultation with my supervising professor, in order to propel me forward into the Professional Project which will be the culmination, the capstone, of my doctoral work. According to the seminary’s instructions, my independent study was to include an “immersion experience” which would connect to this Professional Project and, at the same time, would stretch me in some meaningful, significant ways. Last weekend’s Shalem conference did exactly that. Continue reading
The King is For the Religious Outsider
Luke 18:9-14 tells the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector. With which one do you identify? With which one did Jesus identify? Listen to Pastor David’s sermon on this important passage.
The King Brings Justice
What is justice? How do we define it? What is God’s idea of justice? Listen to Pastor David’s sermon on this topic, based on Luke 18:1-8.
What Divine Healing Is
Can prayer actually bring about physical healing in a person’s life? Is it right to pray for someone to be healed? How do we make sense of those times when we pray and the person is not healed? Are “divine healings” really just fraudulent parlor tricks?
Let’s start with Jesus. Continue reading
What Divine Healing Isn’t
A Facebook friend of mine shared a video of a “divine healing” this morning. His comment on this video was simply “smh” – internet shorthand for “shaking my head.” The video showed a well-dressed preacher praying for a young boy, who apparently had one hand significantly shorter than the other due to some kind of abnormality. The preacher had the boy put his hands together, palm to palm, and then he adjusted the boy’s hands so that his fingertips were offset by a couple of inches. After calling on the name of Jesus and on the power of the Holy Spirit, and after encouraging the congregation to pray in the same way, the unbelievable happened:
The boy’s fingertips slowly moved closer and closer to each other. Continue reading
Praying With the King
How should we pray? Jesus offers an answer – and two stories – in response to his disciples’ question. Will we listen? Here is Pastor David’s sermon on Luke 11:1-13.
Living Out the Golden Rule
The percentage of people claiming no religious affiliation has grown significantly in past years. One reason? The privatization of faith. Maybe our faith is meant to be lived out in public! Listen to Pastor David’s sermon on Matthew 7:7-12.