A Pastor in The Northwest

Have you ever heard of King Joash? He was a short-lived king of the 10 tribes of ancient Israel who, well, could have had so much more! In 2 Kings, the prophet Elisha was on his death bed and as one final act, he prophesied to King Joash and told him to take arrows and strike the ground - here's how it plays out: 18 And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped. 19 Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.” -2 Kings 13 ESV He could have had more. God was willing and able to do so much beyond what the King seemed ready to receive. Sure, Joash got something - maybe even much, but, he was limited by the amount he believed and trusted of God - sad right? God and Elisha meant for more but Joash settled for le...

As we approach the season of Advent 2024 (which starts Sunday, December 1), I wanted to discuss Messiah Jesus's arrival in terms of re-creation. Re-creation? Strange sounding term right? What do I mean? One article I read recently in Christianity Today states, "The logic of salvation begins with God creating humanity to share in his incorruptible life and to cultivate his beautiful creation. When sin entered the world, however, death began to reign, and a process of decreation derailed God’s good purposes." In essence, we see original creation bursting forth from God's Word and then, in Messiah Jesus, re-created by the Word. Jesus takes what is broken and restores it in love. The article continues, "The church, as the body of Christ, also finds its place within the story of God’s grand re-creation project. We are ushered into God’s presence, invited to delight in God’s goodness, and called to participate in God’s work of renewal. Even now, God is re-creating the...

I recently read a book that really got me thinking about our current modern era. Sure, maybe all this new technology has its place. However, I fear it is, as the book The Extinction of Experience  by Christine Rosen  points out, leading to a poverty of experience. Think of all the things that really need time, slowing down, and patience: Planting a seed that will grow into an apple tree Experiencing a sunrise or sunset Watching a storm move in Deep friendships Fine wine You (and me) In the book, I loved this quote about experiencing and appreciating art: As Philippe de Montebellow, the former director of the Metroplitan Museum of Art, observed, "Most works of art yield their secrets slowly." Art doesn't beckon like a movie screen, videogame, or smartphone app; it must be "approached and given time." May we make space and take time for the important things today! Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

I'm a fan of old 1960's comic books. In fact, I just re-read the first issue of Fantastic Four that came out in November of 1961. It was not just the origin story of the superheroes but a glimpse into the imagination of the 1960s through the eyes of Stan Lee and Jack Kirkby. What struck me first was the language, specifically the old 60s slang words. Some of those words and idioms are not really in circulation in 2024. For instance, the term 'lily-livered'—have you ever heard this one? I actually didn't really know what that meant until I consulted the good old faithful Mirriam-Webster experts: The basis of the word lily-livered lies in an old belief. Years ago, people thought that health and temperament were the products of a balance or imbalance of four bodily fluids, or humors: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. It was believed that a deficiency of yellow bile, or choler, the humor that governed anger, spirit, and courage, would leave a person's live...