In an interview from 2002 with the Christian Century magazine, author Frederick Buechner made this observation. “I say the best thing that could happen to your church is for it to burn down and for all your fax and e-mail machines to be burned up, and for the minister to be run over by a … read
This week, I had a moment when I completely understood, in the fullness of my being, John Calvin’s doctrine of total depravity. Calvin held that, using Augustine’s notion of original sin, human beings cannot help but be bad, that our actions are displeasing to God, that without Christ, we are worthless. It’s a bleak understanding, … read
What is our prayer for this new year? Right off the bat, I can think of about a hundred things I would like God to take care of this year. The coronavirus, obviously. Climate change. Poverty. Cancer, Alzheimer’s, ALS. Gerrymandering that benefits whatever political party. Depression and anxiety. Catalytic converter theft. I could go on, … read
When C. S. Lewis created his stories about Narnia, he included a story about the creation of Narnia, and this is how he described it. “A voice had begun to sing. It was very far away and [it was] hard to decide from what direction it was coming. Sometimes it seemed to come from all … read
This month I am preaching three times and offering a short series on sacredness: the sacredness of space this week; next week, the sacredness of music; and two weeks after that, the sacredness of people. We have so many exciting events this month—the dedication of the balcony pew cushions, Michael Barnes’ 30th anniversary at Westminster—that … read
Does God have a sense of humor? The platypus, Venus flytrap plants, and Oregon weather in the “spring” are strong indicators this may be true. Pastor Laurie alluded last week, during Joys and Concerns, to the old Church tradition of observing the Sunday after Easter as Holy Humor Sunday. The premise being, resurrection is God’s … read