I welcomed the unspoken challenge throughout to aspire to excellence in the basics of pastoral ministry. I didn’t find Erroll’s use of these mighty men of God as our models in any way discouraging; rather I found it uplifting and motivating. It’s a high calling and therefore any who follow it must aspire to the highest of... Continue Reading

We can take a Bible verse and paint it on stair risers. We can build super-cute baptismals with dramatic sandbag candle effect. We can distract from our potentially offensive doctrines with our own homemade remedy and market it in a trendy mason jar. We can take an Old Testament prophet and turn him into a... Continue Reading

You see, the world doesn’t get offended about generic faith. For after all, that’s what most people have. They have faith in “faith,” and hope in “hope.” And so when churches preach a generic message, they don’t get in trouble. It is when we talk about specifics that the knives come out. “Have faith.”  My wife and... Continue Reading

Arius’ unorthodox position can be summed up very simply as “there was when he was not.” In other words, he held that God the Son is not co-eternal with God the Father. Instead, he believed that the Son was God’s first creation and that through him everything else was made (Colossians 1:15). This made the... Continue Reading

In short, by the mid-20th century, some version of Arminianism became the default theology of evangelicalism and fundamentalism because, in my view, they posed relatively little threat to the fundamental assumptions of human autonomy and rationalism (or subjectivism) that shaped the modern mind. Early Arminianism anticipated modernity and over the centuries forms of Arminianism adapted... Continue Reading

Sadly the pocket New Testament has become a fitting picture of how many Christians view the Bible.  Too often we see the Bible as a collection of stories.  By virtue of cultural, theological, ritual, and ethnic differences the Old Testament sadly becomes an archaic body within our canon.   I remember the day I first... Continue Reading

Yet, it is stunning to hear the President talk of protecting religious liberty outside the United States, while at the very same time his Administration challenges and chips away at our religious liberty right here at home. Once again, there is a Grand Canyon sized difference between what this President says and what he does.... Continue Reading

The way pastors relate to one another… “Where are you guys at? What are you running? What awesome stuff are you doing?” I’m not saying these are invalid questions. I am saying it is telling that these are the questions most often asked and written about. I think many pastors leave the ministry because they... Continue Reading

If Lutherans really believe what their theology says about Word and Sacrament, then I think they would be equally passionate about engaging other Christians: When Christians understand what Christ offers in the sacraments, that understanding, and what is actually received, changes their lives because they come into direct contact with the death and new life... Continue Reading

When we come before God, we must remember two simple facts—who He is and who we are. We must remember that we’re talking to the King, the Sovereign One, the Creator, but we are only creatures. If we will keep those facts in mind, we will pray politely. We will say, “By Your leave,” “As... Continue Reading