The Pastor's Perspective

  "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"  -   Micah 6:8     I believe w e live in a world that seems to be saturated with discussions about justice, fairness, and truth. It seems to be something that we hear a lot about these days. It seems there is always someone championing for change for one thing or another. There seems to be more and more people willing to speak out and call out injustices that they see going on in this world. This is not a bad thing necessary and it certainly beats the alternative of silence in the face of iniquity and inequality.      As followers of Jesus, our hearts resonate deeply with these concepts or at least I believe they should. We read the powerful pronouncements of the prophets, the compassionate acts of Jesus, and the calls for righteous living throughout the Scriptures. Verses about caring for the w...

     There is a story about a Civil War soldier who had  a peculiar strategy for survival. This Confederate soldier thought one day that he would put on a blue Union coat and gray Confederate trousers. What this soldier thought was that if he would do this it might shield him from enemy fire. Surely, he reasoned, neither side would target someone who appears to be one of their own. With his disguise complete he decided to test his theory out. So the soldier tiptoed  out onto the field, confident in his clever camouflage. The result, was not what he expected! A barrage of bullets from both sides came hurling at him. His failed attempt to appease everyone left him vulnerable to everyone.     I  shared this story because I believe it paints a vivid picture of the perilous path of compromise, especially when it comes to our Christian faith. The desire to fit in, to avoid conflict, to find common ground can be a powerful lure. One that many find themse...

       As a parent I think we all have had this common experience. You ask your kids to do something simple – put away their shoes, clear their plates – and you get a cheerful, "Okay, I will!" Any experienced parent knows not to get their hopes up. Because fast forward an hour (or three), and you discover the task remains untouched. Then you begin to hear the excuses and reasons why the simple task was left undone.       As a bus monitor, I see this play out daily. The rules are clear: "Sit down properly," "Stay in your seat while the bus is moving." It's not a mystery, and by this point in the school year, it shouldn't be a challenge. I mean we are not talking rocket science, right? Yet, the wiggles, the wandering, the outright refusal to comply persist. It's not a lack of understanding; it's a failure to obey, a resistance to immediate action.      But before we cast too many stones at these minor's, let's take a long, hard look i...

            You know, the other day I was just thinking about how things change when they're...connected. Like, when you plug in your phone that has lost all its juice. One moment it is just a very expensive paper weight. Unable to take calls or send them, even the spam calls can't get to you ( on second thought that don't sound to bad) Yet when you plug that phone into the charger; Suddenly, it's not just a dead piece of tech anymore. It's alive, buzzing with information, possibilities. You are able to connect to others, and others can connect to you.      This got me thinking about how that plays out in our lives, not just with gadgets, but with everything. We crave connection, don't we? To people, to ideas, to something bigger than ourselves. We were built for connection. Science has shown time and again how we all need to be connected. As God has said it is not good for man to be alone (Gen 2:10). Even the most introverted perso...