Just as sheep (a common Biblical metaphor for Christians) are protected and fed by shepherds, so the people of God are to be watched over and nurtured.  The chief Shepherd of the church is the Lord Jesus Christ (Psalm 23; John 10:11; Hebrews 13:20), who calls upon spiritual leaders in each generation to care for... Continue Reading

Last Sunday was our 35th anniversary in the Connecticut church. An elder called my husband and me to the front of the sanctuary after the morning service. As he spoke words of appreciation for our many years of service, I looked out on a congregation of people whom I have learned to love. I could... Continue Reading

“Covenant puts boots on theology. It grounds biblical theology in history. It situates gospel hope in real life. It strips doctrine of any romantic gaze, and cloaks it in flesh, in substance, in life-giving truth. What water is to a fish and oxygen is to mammals’ lungs God’s covenant is to our spiritual lives.”  ... Continue Reading

“Reasoning with an awakened sinful appetite is like reasoning with a devil. It isn’t interested in or compelled by the truth; it is interested in a pleasure being offered. In fact, that appetite will seek to manipulate our reason in order to get the pleasure it seeks. It will twist every reasonable objection and minimize... Continue Reading

“Scripture does not say the humble person is Mr. Milquetoast, the wishy-washy person, the spineless man who is a doormat for the world; rather, the humble person is one who fears God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and such fear flows from a heart that is in awe of God... Continue Reading

“Since Adam, there had not been a thoroughly righteous man who had walked on planet Earth. Frankly, there had not even been a mostly righteous man. As God reviewed the records of all his creatures, there was not a holy individual to be found, and this included David, the man after God’s own heart. All... Continue Reading

“How easy is it to not keep the main thing, the main thing? How easy is it to get so caught up in “doing for the Lord” that we forget to “be with the Lord”? How easy is it to get so caught up doing our 9th annual rummage sale at our church, that we... Continue Reading

“Whether it was in their arguing about who was greatest immediately after Jesus predicted His death and resurrection in word and sacrament or in Peter’s statement on the Mount of Transfiguration where Jesus revealed who He was and what He came to do or in their seeking to team up with those who excelled in... Continue Reading

“If more people were aware of where the Democratic Party stood on the issue, it might force them to moderate their position. But they are able to maintain their radical view in large part because many Christians, including pastors and religious leaders, refuse to speak freely.”   This week the pro-life movement was handed a... Continue Reading

“Last week’s gunslingers’ dual between religious freedom and sexual freedom in Mike Pence’s Indiana left religious liberty with a bullet in the gut, if not in the heart. The question is, do evangelicals realize that it’s past time to pull those by-laws and statements of faith out of the file drawer and re-read the fine... Continue Reading