Today is October XXXI. Sorry. I should convert that from the Roman system: today is October 31. Today is Reformation Day. On October 31, 1517, a monk and scholar named Martin Luther published a series of debate points known as “the 95 Theses”. The issue was the sale of “indulgences”. These “indulgences” first appeared in…

You’ve seen the post. I don’t mean a particular post on social media; sadly they are all too common but the central thread is fairly consistent: if you’re a Christian, you must vote, and the candidate or party is almost always implied or even stated directly. In short, to be a Christian means to vote…

Often when we think of worship, particularly on a Sunday morning, what comes to mind is singing. Singing has long been part of worship. It is an important part of Christian worship, for the apostle instructs both the Ephesians and the Colossians to sing. Singing is part of the church’s teaching function. This is why…

During our church’s Family Meal last Sunday I was asked about politics. Specifically, the question stemmed from my point in the sermon that we cannot proclaim the gospel of Jesus through the ballot box. The truth is the moment you advocate for a party or candidate for president, no one will hear the gospel. They…

One of the difficult things any organization faces is the loss of institutional memory. As people come and go the reasons for decisions may be lost. An organization’s culture may change as new folk come in after a period in which that organization’s values were clearly explained and then enacted. Sometimes a change in leadership…