Its the season of Advent—anticipating the celebration of Christmas. For a few short weeks each year, we try to be nicer people. This Christmas spirit of giving mirrors the grand Christmas story: to us a child is born, to us a son is given; for God so loved the world that he gave his son; […]
View PostFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). We are very familiar with the verse. We are so familiar that we miss the wonder of the message: For God so loved the world that he […]
View PostRemembering those who have no voice in a noisy and overly-abundant world–these words again… He was born to an unwed teenage girl Born in substandard housing He was first greeted by some of the most marginalized people in his culture. Under fear of death by a powerful politician, this boy and his family fled to […]
View PostIn a day when sermons when sermons were heavily focused on doctrinal exposition with a minimal emphasis on right living, Spener wrote: Our whole Christian religion consists of the inner man or the new man (sic), whose soul is faith and whose expressions are the fruits of life, and all sermons should be aimed at this. Spener, Philip […]
View PostPhilip Jacob Spener recognizes the importance of clergy in the reform of the church. (Unfortunately, he only thought men should be pastors–so his quotes in this blog will reflect that. Just so you are aware, I am committed to the full participation of men and women in all areas of leadership and ministry in the […]
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