Pastor Note #100: Evangelical Fear and the Turn Toward “Coercive Christianism”: An Essay  Part 1 of 3

Evangelical Fear and the Turn Toward “Coercive Christianism”: An Essay  Part 1 of 3 Can Christianity in America survive without a strongman-protector?  Is the plight of Christianity in American such that it can only be preserved by the guardianship of a strongman-protector in government, particularly one who is not encumbered by scruples stemming from such … Continue reading Pastor Note #100: Evangelical Fear and the Turn Toward “Coercive Christianism”: An Essay  Part 1 of 3

Pastor Note #99: Following Jesus in a Time of Pandemic, Poisonous Politics, and Social Unrest

In a recent e-mail to a friend, I described some of the challenges of church ministry in this time of pandemic, political divisiveness, and social unrest.  I told him, “During the past six months, pastoring a church feels like jumping out of an airplane and trying to sew your parachute as you fall.”  That experience … Continue reading Pastor Note #99: Following Jesus in a Time of Pandemic, Poisonous Politics, and Social Unrest

Quote of Note #105: Satan’s Well-Tailored Temptations

"Satan loves to sail with the wind and to suit men's temptations to their conditions and inclination.  If they be in prosperity, he will tempt them to deny God (Prov. 30:9); it they be in adversity, he will tempt them to distrust God; if their knowledge be weak, he will tempt them to have low … Continue reading Quote of Note #105: Satan’s Well-Tailored Temptations

Quote of Note #104: God’s Response to Disasters

Dutch Fork Lake in the fog; photo by GAC "After all, so often when people look out on the world and its disasters they wonder why God doesn't just march in and take over. Why, they ask, does he permit it? Why doesn't he send a thunderbolt (or perhaps something a little less like what … Continue reading Quote of Note #104: God’s Response to Disasters