This is a re-post of an earlier writing, but I think it's an important one. And because of something I want to write about next, I think it would be good for you to read this first...A common misconception (because it is wrongly taught and spoken of in that way) is that worship refers only … Continue reading Worship Is…
In another entry for the "Why Do We Do That?" category, I thought I would talk about one of those things you likely either a) take for granted that everyone knows, or b) never noticed before: the church year. Many people aren't even aware that the church follows a different format than the "Puppy of … Continue reading The Church Year
No, really! Every fall, there seems to be a lot of confusion and debate among Christians around the topic of Halloween. In fact, the church I once served as a youth director actually split over the question of whether or not it is OK for Christians to celebrate Halloween. Look, I know that we want … Continue reading Halloween Is a Christian Holiday
Back in March, I received a call (an official job offer in our church body) from Peace Lutheran Ministries of Saginaw, Michigan, to serve as their Lead Pastor. At the time, I was happily and comfortably serving the wonderful people of Community Lutheran Church in Flat Rock, also in Michigan, as their Administrative (and sole) … Continue reading On Getting (And Taking) a Call
So, now that you know what a sermon is, and now that you know that a sermon has to hit on both Law and Gospel, let's answer another common question: how in the world does a pastor decide what to preach on, every single week of the year, every year of his ministry? It essentially … Continue reading On Preaching, Part 2: What to Preach On?
In this installment of the "Why Do We Do That?" series, I hope to answer some fairly common questions about an integral part of the worship service and a primary responsibility of a pastor, the sermon. This week: What is a sermon and why do we do it? Next week: How do you decide what … Continue reading On Preaching, Part 1: What Is a Sermon?
Over the coming (school) year, the congregation I serve is going "Back To The Story." Each week, we are encouraging our church family to read along with the book The Story, which is a translation of the Bible in narrative form, making it easier to read as one continuous story. The sermons will focus on … Continue reading Can We Trust The Bible?
If you've hung with me for the first two posts here and here, congratulations! The meandering journey of how and why I became a Pastor concludes this week with a post encapsulating two big moves, two miracle babies, and a series of awakenings... How I Became a Pastor, Part 3: The Thrilling Conclusion In a … Continue reading Why a Pastor, Part 3 (The Last Part!)
In the last post, I began telling the story of how I ended up being a Pastor. Because it's a lifelong story, I found it takes more than one sitting to tell. So if you're still interested, the story continues below: How I Became a Pastor, Part 2: The Best Laid Plans... I arrived at … Continue reading Why A Pastor, Part 2
I am often asked what made me decide to be a Pastor, when I knew I wanted to be a Pastor, how I knew what God was calling me to do, etc. Well, as much as I have tried to boil it down into a short answer, it's actually a long story - one that … Continue reading Why A Pastor?
