Husband. Father. Pastor. Theologian. Sometimes Fisherman, Sometimes Poet. Child of God.
In my last post, we explored the dicey relationship between Christian interpretation about the meaning of God's Law and our freedom as the Spirit filled body of Christ for the world. My overall point was that our discussions about Law v. Gospel rely upon caricatures of what the Law meant for Israel. The Law -- …
When I was a boy, I was in awe of the really great preachers who came to our church, or populated the tent revivals of summer. Growing up "Bapti-costal," those services and sermons by talented preachers meant paying attention for three of four hours at a time. Keeping the attention of an eight year old …
This week, I will be working with a text in Scripture that deals with the concept of rest, work, healing and the Sabbath (Mark 2:23 - 3:6). I am still mulling the various threads of the reading over in my mind, but I walk away from my first impressions of the text with a core …
Let's face it: we have a truth problem. I don't wish to rain on the parade of our collective optimism about the future and its promised progress (okay, maybe I do), but I think that our society has a major issue with both hearing and proclaiming what is true. As a result, our priorities are …
I had a great day... I really, really did. Today was the culmination of a nearly 3/4 of a year process. Eight months ago, I began pre-marital counseling with a young couple who found their way to my door. To be honest, I didn't know how things were going to turn out when I first …
Before I say anything else, I would like everyone to stop and say a word of prayer for the children and parents of East Brook Middle School in Paramus, NJ. In fact, I'm going to do that now... About two hours ago, our area was rocked by news of a horrible school bus accident on …
We often hear and use that old wise saying, "You reap what you sow." From a popular perspective, has there ever been a Western film made that failed to use it? To be sure, I believe this saying is sound wisdom for a number of reasons, especially given its biblical basis. Paul tells us in …
I've been thinking a lot about testimony and testifying this week. In the life of the church, we try to do things well and in order, and certainly without drawing undue attention to ourselves. That said, however, there are moments when we are drawn into the spotlight and dragged into venues in which we are …
There are weeks in ministry when the truth and wisdom of Scripture comes alive in ways that you never anticipated, and they certainly never prepared you for in seminary. This week, and today, specifically, I have experienced this truth anew. The first hardship of the week was sharing with my congregations that God has called …
There are seasons, they say... seasons in life when things don't quite fit, come together, or work out the way we had hoped. Frustration soon sets in, and before you know it, the world looks to be a very hostile place. Live long enough during a "season" like this; come through enough valleys "of the …
Samuel Weddington 