Consider this

                  Did you know that there is a Biblical book called “Lamentations”?   To lament means “to grieve or passionately express sorrow”.     At first, a book dedicated to the sadness that God’s people are experiencing may seem odd, but it makes perfect sense.   How could God address who we are and what we go through if he did not deal with our struggles?                   Acknowledging sadness and imperfection seems strange to us simply because we do it so infrequently.   We live in a time where people say things like “Live your best life” and then post a bunch of pictures online to show how much fun they are having, even when they are not actually having any fun at all.   The ...

                Last week started with me flying to Victoria, BC to conduct a funeral service for a former member of our congregation.   It may sound strange to say that a funeral was enjoyable, but, in many ways, this one was because it was a celebration of life and faith.   There were a few tears, but, for the most part, we remembered, laughed and were thankful for a life well lived.                 When I returned home, we met at the church building with some good friends of ours because their son had decided that he wanted to be baptized.   We engage in what is called “Believer’s baptism”.   In other words, we baptize those who are old enough to make the choice for themselves and this young man ...

                  There are many scriptures that encourage God’s followers to be different than the world around them.   Unfortunately, sometimes that instruction has been applied in a way that is not flattering to God nor his cause.   On the other hand, we have a man named Barnabas.   He was different, but in a good way.   Acts 11:24 says that, “[Barnabas] was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith”.                 I like he is called a good man.   Sadly, the word “good” has become sort of a bland compliment in our day.   However, in the Bible it is a great word that carries the idea of being consistent.   A good person has nothing out of place in his or her char...

                Two young children spent the summer on their grandparent’s farm.   It was a beautiful place with rolling hills, lots of trees and, most notably, a duck pond.                   One day, the little boy was out playing with his slingshot when he thought to himself, “I wonder if I can hit one of the ducks”.   Grabbing a stone, he took aim and hit the duck in the head, killing it instantly.   Looking around to see if anyone had witnessed what had just happened, he saw no one, so he decided to keep the secret to himself.                 That night, after the grandparents had tucked them in bed and turned out the light, a small voice cut thro...

 Life rarely unfolds in easy to understand patterns and that leaves many wishing for step by step instructions showing what to do next.   If you are facing an uncertain future, maybe this passage, written thousands of years ago, will help. “When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. He shall say: ‘Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.’ The officers shall say to the army… ‘Is a...

                  David, Israel’s second king, ruled from 1010-970 BC.   Near the end, he gathered the people and declared, “The Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel... [and now] of all my sons—and the Lord has given me many—he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel (I Chronicles 28:4-5).   That would have been a shocking statement to those in attendance.   Why?   Solomon’s mother was Bathsheba and the story of how she became one of David’s wives is not a good one.   Long story short, she was married to a soldier named Uriah.   Ignoring this fact, David sends for her and sleeps with her.   When Bathsheba sends word that she is going to have his ...

                I remember sitting in Sunday school when I was about twelve years old thinking, “You have got to be kidding!   We are talking about the cross again?”   I was sick of hearing the same stories over and over. Sometimes, though, there are no other options.   For example, when I change oil in my car I always put oil in the crankcase.   Putting honey in there instead, just to do something different, is not going to work.   That same logic applies to the church.   We must keep going over the same stuff because that repetition is not only good, it is necessary.   As Paul said, “It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you” (Philippians 3:1).        ...