A Pastor in The Northwest

Now that technology has advanced so much, we can measure just about anything. In fact, modern sports seems to be dominated by stats and numbers, and metrics. Have you watched a Major League Baseball game lately? Sheesh... But, it isn't just sports that have embraced all this; ministry has also been affected. In a world of metrics, it’s easy to become obsessed with statistics and start to quantify every aspect of our lives. Stats can even become a type of scorekeeping between churches or pastors: “We have more members than you do.” We may never say those words out loud, but we think them; more than one person has made the mistake of measuring a ministry based on attendance. But God has His own method for measuring success.  Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan . Lexham Press. For me, I find it a bit exhausting. However, I do get it. We like things we can quantify and control if you will. Unfortunat...

If God is light and if we humans are created in His image and likeness, well then, an article I read today makes perfect sense. Here's one of the early paragraphs: "An extraordinary experiment on mice and leaves from two different plant species has uncovered direct physical evidence of an eerie 'biophoton' phenomenon ceasing on death, suggesting all living things – including humans – could literally glow with health, until we don't." In the writings of the New Testament, we discover more... 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. -1 John 1:7 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), -Ephesians 5:8-9 So we are made alive in Messiah Jesus, and the light in us shines out. Could it be that science has finally caught up to this t...

I've been thinking about this idea today of not eating and of fasting in general. Fasting is something Jackie and I do regularly. That may sound weird to you, but it is a discipline that has benefited us physically, spiritually, and even mentally (do you realize how much we think and deal with food?). In Scripture, fasting was part of the normal spiritual lives of people. It was often connected to prayer.  With both of these tools, people set aside the normal rhythm of life and had space for God to speak and direct. Other times, people fast in mourning or times of reflection and repentance of sin. Today, on my extended fast to kick off the work week, I found myself thanking God for the blessing of being able to voluntarily fast in a world where many don't have access to food.  As I drank cold, filtered water from my refrigerator, I thanked God for clean water. I also thanked God today for being living water and for the cleansing of all our sins in Messiah Jesus' death and r...

I read this today: "Nature trembles before God's majesty and kindness, scholars are reduced to fools, and saints and angels go blind. Words fail me when I think what would happen to us all if God, in his wisdom, didn't measure out the revelation of himself to match our ability and the progress of grace in our lives." -The Cloud of Unknowing (chapter 13) The Almighty God has graciously reached out to us, pursued us, and meets us where we are in our limited imaginations. It is clear that we simply cannot grasp or handle the full measure of His awesomeness. When I think of this, I am humbled all over again. Reminds me of Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 (NIV): 1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. 2 Do not be quick with your mouth,     do not be hasty in your heart     to utter anything before God. God is in heaven     and you are on earth,     so let y...