Embracing the Darkness

While Holy Week is typically recognized by days such as Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, there is one particular day that doesn't quite get the attention it probably deserves - in particular, the day between the Cross of Good Friday and the Empty Tomb of Resurrection Sunday, otherwise known as 'Holy Saturday,' This post explores the significance of darkness, symbolized with the tomb. When we learn to embrace the darkness, the light of resurrection becomes that much brighter.

When Storms Approach

I've lost count of how many times I've heard the word 'catastrophic' these last several days, specifically related to the imminent flooding that's expected to begin today and persist over the coming days, starting on the NC/SC coastline.  While Hurricane Florence has weakened over the last 24 hours, forecasters, state and local officials, emergency responders, and disaster response …

Rosh Hashanah

First published: September 7, 2018 Days of Awe Depending on which calendar(s) you may use, whether print or digital, perhaps you've noticed a day coming up next Monday, September 10th called Rosh Hashanah. (I use a combination of Apple and Google Calendar, by the way, which I don't know how I would survive without!) It's kind of …

Neighboring

During a conversation over coffee yesterday with a friend, he asked why things like missional living, neighboring, being a student of the community where we live, collaborative partnerships, racial reconciliation, foster care and adoption, serving the poor, hospitality and expanding our relational capacity to include people across ethnic, socio-economic and generational lines into gospel-centered community were all so important to me personally.  I thought …

A Church of Irresistible Influence

Almost two years go, we appointed a team of people among our church family to spearhead our missional reach as a church, both locally and internationally.  Our Missions Team has since been working to help deepen relationship with our ministry partners, while mobilizing both covenant members, attenders and guests to be living expressions of the love of Christ by serving …

Freedom Carries Responsibility

The late English writer, journalist, philosopher and theologian, G.K. Chesterton once wrote, "America is the only country ever founded on a creed."  The creed he was referring to is found in the first line of the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, which states the following: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are …

The Back of God

In Exodus 33, we find an interesting interaction between Moses and God (as if each interaction isn't already interesting enough!).  In verse 18, Moses makes a rather odd but direct request of God; "...show me your glory."  It's an oddrequest only when you consider all that Moses has seen and experienced up to this point.  But Moses …