Can Reformed Chaplains STILL Serve God and Country?
There is no question that the “new moral order” in our country is presenting new challenges to military Chaplains
The Presbyterian and Reformed Commission on Chaplains (PRCC), like most Endorsers, provide clear guidance on how their Chaplains must serve in accordance with their doctrinal beliefs. This guidance not only directs our Chaplains in how they can conduct their ministry, but it protects them as well from being forced to do things that conflict with... Continue Reading
Ten Reasons Why the Ministry Is the Best Job in the World
There are positive aspects of ministry
You are regularly invited to share some of the most intimate moments in other people’s lives, as they get married, welcome babies, teach their kids, worry about their kids, marry their kids off, welcome grandbabies, confront every imaginable challenge, celebrate amazing opportunities, cry for sick loved ones, cry for loved ones who have died, and, one day, face eternity themselves. And, if... Continue Reading
5 Common Expressions I’ve Never Understood
Shorthand aphorisms in the world and in the church that shape our thinking, but don’t stand up to scrutiny
We shouldn’t judge people. This one we hear from both the world and the church. With the church it even comes complete with a proof-text, Matthew 7:1. While Jesus warns us to not be too quick to judge, to judge with charity, to judge in a manner we would like to be judged, even He... Continue Reading
Theological Primer: Supralapsarianism and Infralapsarianism
These two words in the theological lexicon sound dreadfully esoteric and hopelessly elitist
Reformed theologians have often argued about the order in which God decreed certain things to happen. The debate is not over the temporal order of the decrees. After all, we are talking about what God has determined in eternity past. Time is not the issue. Instead, the debate is about the logical order of the... Continue Reading
“So, Are You Open and Affirming?” A Lesbian, a Pastor and Sparks of Glory
“What do you mean by ‘open and affirming?’” I asked
“I envision a church with all sorts of people learning what it means to be followers of Jesus living in a broken world. We want to be open to everyone from across the spectrum of faith, including those who are unsure of what they believe. The gospel, this amazingly good news about Jesus’ life, death... Continue Reading
The Times Exposes Obamacare’s Tentacles
“The tentacles of Obamacare touch everybody—health insurance companies, doctors, the payers.”
“The health care industry now spends more money on lobbying in Washington than any sector of the economy, according to the Center for Responsive Politics here. … Critics say these former officials are cashing in, trading on the relationships and expertise they acquired while working for the taxpayers, and cite such career moves as proof... Continue Reading
Robert L. Reymond Called Home to Glory
Pastor, Professor, Scholar, and Author
Reymond was also an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. He served on the Presbyterian Church in America’s General Assembly’s Theological Examining Committee, and had retired from the pastorate of Holy Trinity Presbyterian Church, a young congregation in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The Funeral Plans for Dr. Reymond have... Continue Reading
Caring for the Caregiver
The spiritual, emotional, and financial burdens that few people understand
Most congregations have at least one member who is serving as a caregiver of a loved one. Many caregivers are women. The single mom who puts her child with cerebral palsy in daycare so she can work. The woman who is rearing her teen aged daughter and her daughter’s daughter at the same time. The wife who had to put... Continue Reading
Man Finally Finds Calling At Age 80
Where is God when we're waiting?
Moses was approximately eighty years old when he met God at the burning bush (Acts 7:30). Eighty! By the time most people hit eighty they are getting ready to sink the last putt on the last hole. Their life is winding down, literally and figuratively. They’ve accomplished just about everything they’re going to accomplish. They’re... Continue Reading
Millennials and Marriage
Young Americans have come to believe that they can only achieve “good” marriages through professional success and economic prosperity
Unfortunately, they have things exactly backwards. A good marriage is the sort of thing that almost anyone can aspire to, regardless of skills, education, or status. The most important ingredients for marital success are within any individual’s power to attain. Professional success, by contrast, does reflect hard work and commitment, but it also depends on... Continue Reading