I love hand tools – old hand tools. My workbench and toolboxes are stocked with a wide variety of old hammers of all sorts, wood plains of several different types, chisels, and draw knives, and hand saws. I have a few very interesting old pipe wrenches, which I honestly hope I never have to use, … Continue reading Pastor Note #83 — God’s Toolbox
From Digital Camera to Bird Songs When I got my first digital camera, photography opened up for me in a new and exciting way. In the old days of film photography, every time you took a picture, it cost you half a dollar for the film and the processing. That could run into money pretty … Continue reading Pastor Note #82: Learning to Hear God’s Voice
Recently, in an on-line discussion forum for pastors in the Reformed tradition, I read a complaint by one of the participants that he could not comprehend the appeal of what are sometimes called “7-11” songs – praise choruses that, it is claimed, are seven words long and are repeated over and over eleven times. He … Continue reading Pastor Note #81: The Problem with Hymns
A few days ago, I received a message on Facebook from an acquaintance of mine. He had sent the message to a bunch of people. In my opinion, it was quite a politically inflammatory message. Accompanying the statement was the challenge, “If you don’t share this message on Facebook, you aren’t a true America.” This … Continue reading Pastor Note #80: Conversation with an Angry World
Families are paradoxes. On the one hand, family relationships can be the source of the greatest comfort, strength, and stability in our lives. On the other hand, -- who doesn’t know what’s coming next – family relationships can be the source of the greatest heartbreak, sadness, and anxiety of anything in our lives. No other … Continue reading Pastor Note #79: Families in the Holiday Crucible
In the 1960s it was the Age of Aquarius. (If you’re much younger than I am, you probably don’t understand that reference.) We are now in the Age of Offense. Everybody is offended these days. Everybody has become touchy. We all tend to take everything personally. We have begun to use the things that offend … Continue reading Pastor Note #78: Christian Witness in an Age of Offense
Opportunities to represent my congregation in ministry in our community present themselves to me from time to time. For example, along with the pastor of the local Christian and Missionary Alliance Church and I will be involved in the opening ceremonies for the local township fall festival later this month. Although I was out of … Continue reading Pastor Note #77: Funerals and the Growing Number of Non-believing Neighbors
I am a Christian who happens to be an American. I am not an American who happens to be a Christian. For me the distinction drawn in those two statements is very important. My commitment and submission to the Lord Jesus Christ is sovereign over all other commitments and relationships in my life. My identity … Continue reading Pastor Note #76: Citizenship in the Only Christian Nation on Earth
What is the goal for the Pro-Life movement in America? Is the goal that we should strive to make abortion illegal? Or is the goal that we should strive to end abortion? It’s very important that we should recognize that those two are not the same goal. I will assert that those who believe that … Continue reading Pastor Note #75: Abortion: Not Just a Legal Issue
Trust and Unity in American Society and Politics The great debate over these intelligence memos is a painful demonstration of a sickness that is afflicting our society. We are experiencing a crisis of trust. A civil society in which people have ceased to trust each other and our foundational institutions is a deep and dangerous … Continue reading Pastor Note #74 — Trust and Unity in American Civil Society and Politics
