What will be the judgment a century hence concerning the lorded works of our favorite composers today? Inasmuch as nearly everything is subject to the changes of time, and—more’s the pity—the fashions of time, only that which is good and true will endure like a rock...
00742 – Worship or Entertainment?
Is there no real difference between worship and entertainment? I believe there is a world of difference, even though I have some inkling as to why today’s culture has confused the two… ENTERTAINMENT typically results from the WORK OF OTHERS, for my interest, pleasure,...
00719 – The Tapestry of Worship
The tapestry of worship is formed by the various threads of conversation that occur in interweaving fashion: God’s Word being communicated to the gathered community (both individually and corporately), worshipers responding to God under the prompting of God’s Spirit,...
00714 – Finding Joy in the Ordinary
What if [instead of just the “wow” moments in worship] we actively pursue the joy of the ordinary? What if in this season of Lent, when we verbalize our “ashes to ashes” condition , we give God glory for the profound nature of His handiwork without feeling that we...
00529 – Nurturing the Presence of God
We have resorted to magical categories and overlook God’s gift of sacred significance in the commonplace events of our lives. As a result, we may choose to take a particular job because of what we describe as God’s leading, but then do the job with little or no sense...
00486 – The Kingdom of God
We can define the Kingdom of God as the redemptive presence of God. The redemptive presence of God can be found in everyday personal experiences. Whenever people love one another, bear one another’s burdens, work to build up a just and peaceful community—wherever...
00466 – Gospel Demands Only Faith
Beware lest you make Christ into a Moses, and the gospel into a book of law or doctrine… In fact, however, the gospel demands no works to make us holy and to redeem us. Indeed, it condemns such works, and demands only faith in Christ, because he has overcome sin,...
00430 – Sow in Faith
No ray of sunlight is ever lost, but the green which it awakens into existence needs time to sprout, and it is not always granted to the sower to see the harvest. All work that is worth anything is done in faith.
00355 – Our Calling Won’t Bring Contentment
Beyond and through every earthly love and every earthly duty, we are to hear the call of God. On the one hand, we are called to the God who can put an end to our work and bring fulfillment to our loves and labors… But on the other hand, this call will often exact a...
00344 – The Young Can Hear Better
When you are young, I think, your hearing is in some ways better than it is ever going to be again. You hear better than most people the voices that call to you out of your own life to give yourself to this work or that work. When you are young, before you accumulate...