Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
It seems to go without saying that churches should be places of worship. And yet, those things that we say “go without saying” usually still need to be said. What is a worshipping church? C.S. Lewis once said: “It’s not out of a compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are. … Read More “3 Steps to Becoming a Worshipping Church” »
I have been a pastor for approximately twenty-five years and I have enjoyed it for the most part. There are challenges, as there are with any career. If I had the chance to redo my life, I would still want to be a pastor. I think many people are aware of the costs of being … Read More “The Unseen Cost of Being a Pastor” »
John 4:19-24 Introduction Change for churches is generally difficult but changes in worship style are some of the most controversial issues. Imagine if we announced that we were going to stop singing all traditional hymns. Whether we decided to replace them with only singing Psalms, as some churches do, or only singing songs that are … Read More “Worship the Right Way” »
1 Corinthians 14:6-19 Introduction I once heard a story about a pastor challenging their congregation about the next generation of their church. The pastor asked them, how many of them would be willing to give up their lives if it meant that their children and grandchildren would follow Jesus. Almost everyone put up their hand. … Read More “Loving Worship” »
Acts 2:42-47 Introduction Some people see the many different denominations within the church to be a major problem. If we all believe in Jesus, shouldn’t there just be one church? Technically there is only one church, that which the Apostle’s Creed calls the “holy catholic church” or universal church. But one church doesn’t mean that … Read More “Anatomy of a Church: Worship” »
Romans 12:1-2 Introduction Few issues get Christians as worked up as their personal preferences when it comes to worship. There is a reason why people call it the worship wars. There is your side, there are the people who are wrong, and there is a battle to be won. We often think of worship as … Read More “Worshiping God in Jesus Christ” »
Different churches have different worship styles. Where they are at may be for a variety of reasons. Some perhaps wish they could be more contemporary but don’t have the musicians. Some hold tightly to traditional worship. Others have embraced contemporary worship in order to reach new people. I am not interested in talking about what … Read More “What Does Worship Style Have to Do With a Successful Church?” »
We have been taking things very carefully at Queen Street Baptist Church when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic. My philosophy has been that I would rather be accused of being too cautious than too reckless. We have been meeting in person again for a number of masks. But this past Sunday was the first … Read More “Good News: Singing in Church” »
1 Corinthians 14:1-19 Introduction Do you enjoy traditional worship? Before you answer that, we better be clear on what we mean traditional. At this point in time after months of online services, any in-person worship taking place in a church building, no matter how recent the songs, may feel like traditional worship. But perhaps you … Read More “Lovely Worship” »
At the time I am writing this, we are beginning to make plans to return to physical worship services. We have been told by medical professionals that congregational singing is a dangerous activity and that we should avoid it for the first part of our return. But can we even worship without singing? Before we … Read More “Can We Worship Without Singing?” »
I have heard some people critical of the song from Bethel Music titled Reckless Love. The problem they claim is that God’s love is not reckless. The definition of ‘Reckless’ from dictionary.com is: utterly unconcerned about the consequences of some action; without caution; careless It is difficult to see how anything God does is “careless.” So … Read More “Is God’s Love Reckless?” »
I once applied for a youth pastor position and was horrified to see that the role included “worship leading.” My fear was because I have no ability in singing or instruments. I equated worship with music. I learned that the church saw prayer, Bible readings and many other things as part of worship in addition … Read More “Worship and Music Are Not the Same Thing” »
I recently mentioned that we had a great service at our church this past Sunday. One of the things that made it a good service was a family that was visiting. This family happened to have two children with autism. They gave me the heads up before the service, although I had already recognized the … Read More “The Sounds of Autism” »
In the church I grew up in, there were instructions in the bulletin about making noise in the sanctuary. It was expected that people would come to worship in silence, to prepare themselves and not disturb others. If you wanted to talk in the minutes leading up to the service, you were to go to … Read More “The Sound of Coming into Worship” »
Baptists sometimes joke that potluck meals are another sacrament alongside communion and baptism. I actually think there is a good biblical basis for the importance of the church eating together. But that is for another day. The concept of a potluck meal is that everyone brings in something and together we share and enjoy each … Read More “Good News: A Spiritual Potluck” »
One of the things that I have noticed about contemporary Christian ministry is there is disagreement over the purpose and aim of Sunday worship services. The two options for the focus are: Christians who are part of that Christian community. Non-Christians who will hopefully visit the church, either as an invited guest or their own … Read More “Who Should Sunday Worship Services Be Aimed At?” »
A number of decades ago, a conflict erupted over the style of worship. Some congregations felt that the traditional hymns were the way to go and others wanted newer “choruses.” This was not the first war, as there had been strong feelings when churches switched from Psalms to hymns. Has that war ended? I’m not … Read More “The New Worship War” »
A sermon preached at Queen Street Baptist Church. Introduction Queen Street Baptist Church has identified itself as a worshiping community. It is hardly controversial that a church would want to be active in worship, and yet worship is one of the hottest topics among congregations. There has been and continues to be something called the … Read More “What is a Worshiping Church?” »
One of the most common core values for many contemporary churches is that of excellence. That is not necessarily a bad thing. We should want to do the things we do for God to the best of our ability. But there are times that excellence can become and idol. I have heard too many stories … Read More “Disabilities, Church and the Idol of Excellence” »
The “experts” would probably say that the worship wars are over or at least a non-issue. I would say that things have changed but feelings have not diminished. What I saw decades ago was the conflict was between hymns and choruses. What has changed is that many contemporary churches would never consider using the choruses … Read More “What I Look for in Worship Music” »
I have attended eight different churches over my lifetime. However, six of them were churches that I was pastoring at. That means that I have left only two churches based on decisions and not because I was going to pastor a new church. There are times that a family needs to leave a church for … Read More “How to Leave a Church and How I Did It Wrong” »
Every Christian wants to be a part of healthy church. Unfortunately, not every church is healthy. I have heard too many horror stories of churches that are rotten inside. Jesus himself spoke about whitewashed tombs. Many of the things that Christians see in the Pharisees are just as prominent in churches. How does a church … Read More “3 Ingredients For a Healthy Church” »
A devotion based on Malachi 1:8. The Old Testament provides very clear guidelines for the sacrifices offered to God. Because God is holy and righteous, only the best animals are to be sacrificed. In the days of Malachi, the high standard for worship had fallen significantly. The priests were offering animals that were defective in … Read More “Devotions: Malachi” »
When it comes to welcoming those with disabilities into a church, I come at it with two hats. One hat is as a father of two children with autism. The other hat is as one who pastored for over a decade. The father part says that the church must endure everything to embrace my children. … Read More “Churches, Pastors and the Disabled” »
Unfortunately I did not make it to church today as I got sick just as we were leaving. This was disappointing for two reasons. One was that Amanda was on the worship team and this was the first time she was in a long time. She did a great job as always. The second reason … Read More “Proud Dad” »
Many years ago, Ed Sullivan was famous for introducing his television program by saying, “It’s a really big show tonight.” In his case, it was appropriate as he introduced such bands as the Beatles. My impression is that this would be appropriate for many churches as well. With declining church attendance, churches have to do … Read More “A Really Big Show” »
I came across this surprising quote that may shock some readers: “I envy you not having to think any more about Christian apologetics. My correspondents force the subject on me again and again. It is very wearing, and not very good for one’s faith. A Christian doctrine never seems less real to me than when … Read More “Spiritual Dangers and Apologetics” »
