A Pastor in The Northwest

As I write this, the morning sunshine is peaking through my office windows and I'm in awe. The sky is blue, there are high clouds and it is cold but clear. Spending my hour in prayer walking earlier was so life giving and refreshing that I didn't want it to end. Days like this draw me to focus on this created earth. I realize, however, that I can sometimes forget WHO is behind it all - the great designer, artist, and Creator Almighty God. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth...and it was good, very good!" -Genesis There is a danger to us over focusing on the created rather than the Creator. As Paul David Tripp has written, "Creation was never designed to satisfy your heart. Creation was made to be one big finger pointing you to the One who alone as the ability to satisfy your heart. Many people will get up today and ins some way ask creation to be their savior, that is, to give them what only God is able to give." May we all be looking ...

Love this quote: Bishop N. T. Wright of Durham has written, “The whole point of what -Jesus was up to was that he was doing close up, in the present, what he was promising long-term in the future. And what he was promising for that future and doing in the present was not saving souls for a disembodied eternity but rescuing -people from the corruption and decay of the way the world presently is so they could enjoy, already in the present, that renewal of creation which is God’s ultimate purpose — ​and so they could thus become colleagues and partners in that large project.” Photo by Hunter Haley on Unsplash

So we step into a new year soon and I wonder, am I ready for 2025? I guess in 2025 we'll get a new Mission Impossible movie along with a new Karate Kid and a new Superman movie.  What else is coming? More digital-based living? Driverless taxis in big cities? More flexible workplace arrangements for people? Apparently, one thing is ending - Microsoft's support of Windows 10...hmmm. Here are a few questions I'm thinking about today: What do I want to be different this year? What do I start doing, stop doing, or do better? How can I grow and mature more spiritually? Is there anything BIG I'd love to see God do in my life in 2025? What BOLD things can I pray and believe Jesus for? Maybe you could choose a word for your new year like one of these: Resilient Stronger Present Reflective Kind I'm not sure what this year will bring but I'm always an optimist about hope, so, I leave you with this from Romans 12:11-13: Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, ser...

I read a quote today about prayer that I found both encouraging and challenging from the archives of the great C.H. Spurgeon: "Oh, that Christian men would remember this! Perseverance in prayer is necessary to prevalence in prayer!   Those great intercessors, who are not so often mentioned as they ought to be in connection with confessors and martyrs, were nevertheless the grandest benefactors of the Church; but it was only by abiding at the mercy-seat that they attained to be such channels of mercy to men. We must pray to pray, and continue in prayer that our prayers may continue." -Cowman, L. B. (1925). Streams in the Desert (pp. 359–360). The Oriental Missionary Society. Prayer has been one of those difficult practices for modern Christ-followers (like me!) to pursue. With so many tools and media and options out there, we distract ourselves with activity and often fail to just stop, get on our knees (metaphorically or actually!) and talk with and listen to God. I think we...

I think we can safely say that the dust has settled from the recent election cycle and there seems to be a relative calm politically. It was a wild ride for many of us, right? So this morning I found out that apparently the word of the year for 2024, at least according to Merriam-Webster, was polarized. This makes a lot of sense to me. Basically polarization is extreme opposites as opposed to middle ground or center. Fun fact - last year's word was 'authentic.' Hmmm... In many ways, polarization is not useful or helpful. It has caused damage to a lot of relationships and hampered efficient governance. Yet, I can think of at least one kind of polarization that is good and I'm thankful for it! What kind you may ask? Good question! As Psalm 103 proclaims: 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as...

I read a devotional this morning about the power of Christians meeting together regularly to worship Jesus in the same space. In short, when this happens, we recenter our lives around the One worthy of all our praise. It's also a powerful affirmation of what life is about, and well, it's not us. As the devotional states, when we don't get this right about life, "We place ourselves in the center, we decide for ourselves what we want life to be like, and we reduce God to little more than the delivery system for our catalog of self-oriented dreams." Ugh. That is a sobering thought, right? So, to recalibrate us weekly, we, like followers of Jesus all over the world, meet together in large gatherings and small to call us back to the beauty and grace of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Every time we worship, we declare His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven! Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are...