The modern evangelical church sometimes seems to assume that whatever its theology, piety, and practice is must be (a priori) that of the ancient church when, in fact, much of its theology, piety, and practice is very modern indeed.
Pastors are first and foremost worship leaders in the church. Worship of God is what we were made for and where we find our true humanity.
James isn’t crazy in his talk of joy in trials. He’s a faithful pastor.
Pastors have the wonderful opportunity to model self-control in a world that prizes self-indulgence.
I wonder if we have this exactly backward. I wonder if the ethic of Christ is not “get a seat at the table with the influential,” but actually “leave the house altogether and share a table with the poor, the outcast, the marginalized.”
We give thanks to the God of heaven because his covenant faithfulness is immutable and endless.
What if we read the Old Testament the way Jesus read it? How would that change our Bible reading and our churches?
