For the first time in my adult life, I don’t like either candidate that the major parties have put forward for the office of President of the United States. I see more harm than good coming from either candidate being elected to that office. I wish we could have a do-over for the primary elections, but alas we cannot.
Moving beyond the gospel?
In some churches I have attended, there is a sense that the gospel entails the elementary teaching of Christianity. To move toward maturity then requires that people move beyond the gospel into more “meaty” doctrinal teaching.
I have come to realize that this is wrong headed and leads not to maturity, but to immaturity. The effect of this teaching is the exact opposite of the desired result.
Good news . . . bad news
I have some really good news and some (sort of) bad news.
Being right or being loving . . .
It seems to me that if we are forced to make a choice between being right (winning the argument) and being loving, we should always chose the latter. Unfortunately, this has not always been the case with the Christian Church.
Counterfeits and the real thing
The fact that evil deeds have been done by those who claim allegiance to Christ is a criticism that is sometimes raised against Christianity. In thinking about a response to this critique, it dawned on me that anything of value is likely to be counterfeited. The presence of the counterfeit is a backhanded compliment and speaks to the value of the original.
The church is not the only army that shoots its wounded
I have heard it said that the church is the only army that shoots its wounded. After hearing all the fuss about Adrian Peterson these last few weeks, I now know that this statement is not true. It is not false because the church does not shoot her wounded. It is false because the church is not alone in this behavior.
On forced moral reform
Moral reform is the most difficult and delicate branch of statesmanship; few rulers have dared to attempt it; most rulers have left it to hypocrites and saints.
Confessions of a man-pleaser (idol worhipper)
I could blame it on the church of my youth . . . or, I could just face the fact that I am an idolater at heart and have made an idol out of the approval of others.