Teaching Articles (Page 3)
God Bless You – U.S. Senate Chaplain Benediction
A pastor in our most recent Imagine Learning Community wanted to ensure that the last message his congregation heard before they left the building on Sunday morning was that they were being sent back into the world to be a blessing to their frontlines. To do this, he employed a benediction that was inspired by the former chaplain to the U.S. Senate, Richard Halverson: You go nowhere by accident. Wherever you go, God is sending you. Wherever you are, God…
Give Thanks in a Time of Trouble
Ok, I admit it. I’ve had a hard time getting excited about Thanksgiving this year. It’s not just the holiday itself, which will be different than any other in my lifetime. No, my challenge goes deeper than that. I don’t know how to get in the spirit of the day, to be genuinely thankful in a year that has brought so much difficulty, pain, and loss. I recently shared my struggle with a small group of friends over Zoom. I also…
You Are Indispensable (Your Work Doesn’t Define You)
While I was standing in line the other day waiting to order my lunch, I heard an employee encouraging people to use one of the empty self-service kiosks. I looked over, and saw some customers who had just arrived take up the offer. It then dawned on me that they were now ‘ahead’ of me, even though I was there first! So I felt a little foolish as I continued to wait to place my order with the woman behind…
Connecting Faith and Everyday Life through the Lord’s Prayer
One of our faithful readers responded to my last posting with a question about how Christians can practically connect their faith to their everyday life. It’s a great question, as I believe it’s something most believers have a hard time doing. Many of us have been taught the importance of having a ‘quiet time’ or ‘devotional’—the daily practice of setting aside time to read the Bible and pray. However, if you’ve been a Christian for more than a week, you’ve…
“Curiosity is the New Humility”
I was having lunch recently with a pastor named Dave who had participated in our most recent Imagine Learning Community. He shared with me a catchy phrase that his wife likes to say: “Curiosity is the new humility.” It’s a great line, for sure. What I really appreciated, however, was that it’s not just a slogan for Dave. Rather, he is actively seeking to live out this principle in his pastoral ministry. For example, he recently invited members of his…
Commissioned for the Frontline (Everyday Ministry Matters)
Can you imagine a business where 70% of the employees can’t connect how their daily work contributes to the company’s overall mission? If that were the case, odds are that business would soon be out of business! Yet sadly that’s the state of the church in America today. According to recent research by Barna, “70% of Christians do not see how their work serves God’s purposes.” Yet 93% of pastors have said that helping their people integrate their faith and…
The Problem with Elevating Pastoral Ministry Above Other Ministries – “What Ministry Might That Be?”
Several years ago I was sitting in the pew on Sunday morning at historic All Souls Church in central London listening to John Stott preach. To illustrate a point, he recounted a conversation with a friend of his. Apparently John’s friend had shared with him some news about a mutual acquaintance, explaining that this person had recently gone into “the ministry.” John then replied, “What ministry might that be?” John’s friend was confused by the question, particularly from such an…
Between Two Worlds: In But Not Of the World
In my last post I wrote about running, so I thought I’d continue with that theme today. Whenever I go for a jog, I like to listen to praise music. Unfortunately, on one occasion when I popped in the earbuds, one of them didn’t work. I tried to fiddle with it, but nothing helped. At first I was somewhat annoyed by this, as I was hoping to have a wonderful time running and praising God (silently of course!). Once I…
Crossing the Finish Line – God’s Story & Your Everyday Frontline
I could barely make out the finish line approaching in the distance. As I strained my eyes down Boylston Street, I reflected on how many runners had made a similar journey before me – how I was literally following in their footsteps. Yet as I crossed the line of Boston’s historic marathon, there was no moment of elation. No sense of accomplishment. Why? Well, I had not actually run the Boston marathon that day. I was merely running an errand. …
CCCC Position Paper on Racial Reconciliation
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day we want to share with you our denomination’s position paper on racial reconciliation (link to pdf). While this document is not a comprehensive paper addressing every issue, it is a way to continue discussing how to address racism and work towards multiethnic reconciliation. In Christ, your Elders RACIAL RECONCILIATION Preamble “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people…
God Rescues Through Water: Stories of Water and Baptism in the Bible
Today’s is Julia’s baptism! We are so excited to celebrate with her this special moment. Julia, I want you to know that although today is your baptism, you’re not alone in your baptism. Do you remember how the Bible starts? The second verse in Genesis says, “…the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Gen 1:2b). From the beginning God uses water for something special. We see him rescuing his people through water all throughout the…
Children Dedication Example
This last Sunday I had the privilege of dedicating one the children of our families here at Cornerstone Congregational Church. I used Before the Lord, Before the Church: “How-To” Plan a Child Dedication to help me plan the explanation and commitments. With this family’s permission I’m sharing the slides I shared with the congregation that day. You can also watch how I did it in the above video. You can find a writeup of another baby dedication here. Please use thoughtfully.…