The Wilderness. Moses hid in it. Elijah ran to it. Jesus was tested by it. And Church leaders today still encounter it. We enter the wilderness whenever we: Try to hide from our responsibility like Moses did. Try to escape danger like Elijah did. Need to be tested like Jesus did. My wilderness was Maryland. … Continue reading
Like many churches Easter Sunday is one of the highest attended Sunday services of the year for us. We can count on a lot of visitors as well as many of our “fringe” attenders who only show up once or twice a month. It’s a time of great celebration as we worship the risen Christ, … Continue reading
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit… I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he … Continue reading
Dear Andy, You don’t know me. We have never met. I haven’t written any books, been the headliner at any major conference, or preached to crowds of thousands. I am a simple, country preacher at a church that barely averages 100 in weekly attendance. And I don’t know you. Sure, I’ve heard you preach, read your … Continue reading
My wife hates being interrupted. I mean she loathes it. To her, being interrupted during a conversation is the epitome of rude behavior. Yet, when life deals an interruption, she handles it much better than I do. I’m a creature of routine. I like predictability. I’m the guy who orders the same thing off of … Continue reading
As 2015 came to a close I decided to spend a few days away from social media. With the exception of a few private messages from my wife and managing the church Facebook page, I stayed off of social media for a week (okay, 5 days, but that’s a business week, right?) When 2016 rolled … Continue reading
It’s a natural reaction for people of faith; when tragedy strikes, we pray. It is as natural to us as breathing. The doctor says she has cancer. We pray. He was killed by a drunk driver. We pray. A natural disaster kills thousands half-way around the globe. We pray. So it should come as no … Continue reading
I know this won’t be popular. I know it will be hard for many to swallow. I am not posting this to start an argument, so comments are turned off. I am posting this to make the Christian think. So please, pray over this before you share or sound off on it. You can’t have … Continue reading
Yes, it’s another post about social media bickering. Why? Because it’s needed. A few months ago it was a blue/white dress. Last week it was a red cup. This week it’s refugees. Apparently we can’t figure out what to do with them. Do we accept them? Do we close our borders? Do we aid them … Continue reading
One of my favorite depictions of a Christ-figure in literature is Aslan from C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. If you are unfamiliar with the stories, Aslan is a Lion, and he is the rightful ruler of the fantasy world of Narnia. At one point in the series a little girl named Lucy is told that Aslan … Continue reading
The Pondering Preacher 