A Pastor in The Northwest

For the ancient Hebrew calendar, presented in Leviticus 23, everything started with 52 holidays, as it were, of sabbath all-day rests. These days meant 'no ordinary work'. In Hebrew, sabbath means to cease and desist. Traditionally, this was for a 24-hour period from sundown on Fridays to sundown on Saturdays (so, the whole Saturday or the 7th day). How are your days of no ordinary work going for you? May I encourage this practice in you and your family's life as a regular, creation-like rhythm! That said, I was thinking today about the many times we read of Jesus doing miraculous healings on the sabbath day. Even though that often frustrated the Jewish leadership of His day, I think He actually did honor the 'no ordinary work' of the Mosaic (Torah) Law. How? Well, divine miracles by the hand of God Himself are simply NO ORDINARY thing, right? Certainly no ordinary work! Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman w...

Right now, I feel like everyone can't stop thinking and talking about artificial intelligence and how quickly it is advancing into new territory.  Some want to be afraid, some want to let it run wild, and some want to ignore it.  For me, the question remains: what is the proper posture for followers and Jesus who make up His church? I believe followers of Jesus need to have a healthy understanding of what it is and reflect on how best to utilize it as a tool. I don't think it helps to be afraid nor to ignore it.  At the end of the day, however, the church can remain, through any technology or issue of the modern world, a beacon of real relationships, support, and authentic human fellowship. No machine can replace that! Fiercly human, local, real people in authentic relationships! Photo by Igor Omilaev on Unsplash

My wife Jackie and I recently joined many hundreds of people at Bridgetown Church in Portland this past week to do a prayer meditation experience alongside a book launch by John Mark Comer.  Although the material presented was nothing new for us, we really appreciated being together yet in silence, solitude, and reflection.  So much of church life on Sundays is programmed, and we found this gathering refreshing in its simplicity. One of the big takeaways for me was a video showing a 1993 interview of Fred Rogers (the famous Mr. Rogers!), and he spoke of the gift of solitude and silence we could give to each other.  In almost a prophetic moment, he said these words in that interview with Charlie Rose: "I fear today in our world that people are more interested in information than wonder." Wow. Lord, restore wonder in us, we pray! Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

There is an odd movie that I love that came out in 2007.  In fact, I still think about it often.  The movie is Mr. Magorium's Magic Emporium, and it stars some pretty great actors, including Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, and Jason Bateman (one of my favorites!).   There's a line that captured my heart and imagination from the first time I heard Dustin Hoffman's character say it.  Here's the quote: "Your life is an occasion.  Rise to it!" Oh man.  Our lives have a moment in time - a space on the main stage.  We can rise to that moment!   It makes me think of Queen Esther (Hadassah) in the Hebrew Scriptures.  Her uncle challenges her to use her position and status to save her people, the Jewish exiles in Babylon.  She had a choice, so, here's the big moment: 13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you keep sil...

In thinking about prayer today, I remembered this quote I may have shared in a recent message on the subject: According to Scripture, prayer is an important but not-so-structured part of our relationship with God. We do not have to end with amen. We do not have to close our eyes. It does not have to be a spiritual leader to pray for us. We do not have to use fancy language. Anyone can pray at any time, in any place, for anything. God will listen. The most important thing is to remember why we are praying and to make sure our minds and hearts are prepared before we approach God with our words. Jesus says in Matthew 6:8 that God already knows what we need before we ask. The important thing is to keep that honest line of communication open. -Taffeta Chime https://renew.org/what-does-the-bible-say-about-prayer/?mc_cid=1b2249a0ff&mc_eid=90a3ef166f Keeping the line of communication open - like a text chain with the Lord that we keep responding to throughout the day, right? Lord, help us ...

It was 1996, and I was 23.  My wife, Jackie, and I were living near Nashville, Tennessee, and we found out we were pregnant with our first child. My songwriting friend Scott and I were working through our first record contract with Word Records.  Life was exploding for us!  In a quiet moment, I wrote this prayer inside the cover of my NIV Study Bible. "God, Your will, Nothing more, Nothing less, Nothing else." Now, this prayer is as relevant in my 50's as it was then.  Yes, Lord, Your will, NOT mine, be done! Amen. Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

I read this quote recently and have been thinking about it today: John Chrysostom said, “Prayer is the light of the spirit, and the spirit, raised up to heaven by prayer, clings to God with the utmost tenderness. Like a child crying tearfully for its mother, it craves the milk that God provides. Prayer also stands before God as an honored ambassador. It gives joy to the spirit, peace to the heart. I speak of prayer, not words. It is the longing for God, love too deep for words, a gift not given by humans, but by God’s grace.” There is an aspect of prayer that is much more profound, mysterious, and deeper than mere words spoken or offered.  Chrysostom's statement sounds a bit like Paul's statement in Romans 8 (NIV): 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’...

I read a great article from Crossway today on the wisdom of Ecclesiastes and how we age in our lives (link below).  In it, the author wrote,  As we change, the questions we wrestle with change too. In our twenties, we ask, “Who am I?” In our thirties we ask, “How do I balance all this?” In our forties the question becomes “Is this it?”—which then turns into “Can I keep going?” in our fifties and “Am I obsolete?” in our sixties. By our seventies and eighties, we are asking, “Was it worth it?” I resonate with this summation (so far!).  The article presents the overall idea that our stages of life are normal and designed by God our Creator, and in each stage we have the opportunity and gift to rejoice in being alive. Oh, and I like the final statement, " We are meant to turn the page as we age, allowing others to take center stage as we move from learner to earner to sage." One day, might I achieve 'sage' status?  Lord help us all! (article from Crossway titled, "E...

Over the last few weeks, I've been pondering this statement that is found in Paul's letter to the Romans. He speaks of God's kindness and severity when it comes to faith and trust.  Here's the passage (Romans 11:21-23): For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. So, God is looking for humans who will trust Him and, even if they are not of Jewish descent, they will be fully welcome and 'grafted in' to His family of faith. Those who reject and refuse to trust in Messiah Jesus lose their connection to God's family. We're confronted, in this text, with both God's great kindness and His judgement. Can both be tru...

I read this 2 sentence part of 1 Chronicles 4 today, and wow - so many questions... 9 There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. 10 He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.   Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Ch 4:9–10).  So, let us run this down: Jabez's birth is a great pain to his mother. Hmm. YET, he was more honorable than his brothers (details???). He was known (?) for praying this prayer to Yahweh, which, broken down, is to the effect of "Hey Lord, make my life all up and to the right and eliminate any discomfort," right?" OK, hmmm. Selfish? Ambitious? Ridiculous? Sure, yet what does the text tell us?  And God GRANTED him his request! I don't know about...

This past weekend, Jackie and I and my family were blessed to host some great old friends from Tennessee. During our time living in Tennessee for some 8 years, we connected with Mike and Amy and many other couples in our small church in Antioch, Tennessee. Even though the visit was short, we were able to catch up on the last 20 years of life, share meals, laugh, and pray. Mike and Amy are still at the church where we first connected, and they celebrated 30 years of ministry there. We chatted about ministry, our families, the current state of the world, and all the changes in the past 2 decades. When we said goodbye Sunday afternoon, we felt like we had never missed a beat with Mike and Amy. By the way, they loved the weather, the Pinot Noir, the beach, the fresh seafood, and of course, those obnoxious Newport sea lions! They also loved meeting many of you in our 10:30am service and sharing the fried chicken after! This weekend reminded me of a great kingdom truth: when we are in Chris...

Good question.  I have more... Is it always religious per se?  Is it always about asking or begging God to do something for us? Does it always have to end with an 'amen'? Do we need to have the right words or phrases for God to hear and answer us the way we hope? Does God do anything after we pray? Does God hear us? And on and on we could go, right?  Lord have mercy on our questions! I enjoyed an article on the topic of prayer recently from the folks at Renew.org, and the article concluded with this: "According to Scripture, prayer is an important but not-so-structured part of our relationship with God. We do not have to end with amen. We do not have to close our eyes. It does not have to be a spiritual leader to pray for us. We do not have to use fancy language. Anyone can pray at any time, in any place, for anything. God will listen. The most important thing is to remember why we are praying and to make sure our minds and hearts are prepared before we approach God with ...

I found one of my first textbooks today that was part of my freshman year of Bible college back in 1991.  I remember the class vividly as old Dr. Beckman, with his crooked fingers, schooled us all in the Scriptural attributes of God. I highlighted and took notes as fast as I could and couldn't get enough!  That text and Dr. Beckman gave me a greater understanding of who God really is, and it deepened my love for learning and growing in my faith. Those first few lessons taught many key attributes of Almighty God, which included: God is ONE (in threefold personality) God is SPIRIT God is OMNIscient God is OMNIpotent God is OMNIpresent God is JUST God is HOLY God is GOOD God is ETERNAL God is UNCHANGEABLE God is CREATOR But, my favorite is this attribute: God is LOVE (1 John 4:8) Praise be to God!

  I read this today (and prayed it too!) on commonprayer.net: "Holy One, so often we claim to see but prefer our blindness. Send us teachers and saints whose lives speak loudly of faith and perseverance to guide us when we unknowingly stray from wisdom’s course. Help us to find the Way, the Truth, and the Life in this world of shortcuts, deception, and death. Amen." Photo by Michel Stockman on Unsplash  

Sunday was the big finale of the 2026 World Cup hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico (in 16 cities). This wrapped up 39 days and 104 matches with some 48 different countries battling it out on the fields. And the sport you asked? Well, we call it soccer, but, for most of the world, it is futbol! If you didn't watch it, Spain and Argentina were in the championship, and Spain won the match. Guess what the estimated number of people who viewed it? A staggering 6 billion. That's with a "b" folks! Sunday I found myself pondering this sport and the global fascination with it, and, if you watched the opening ceremony, one might think this was religion. In fact, one of our tour guides in Barcelona, while on our trip to Spain this past March, said that while Roman Catholicism is Spain's official faith, futbol was the real religion. Ugh. As we who follow Jesus know, there is so much more to life than a 90-minute match! Jesus spoke of bringing an abundant life to any wh...

I was reflecting today on the idea of Jesus as my shepherd as described in John 10.  Specifically, I'm thinking about listening and hearing His voice - a voice I recognize because of the time I've spent with Him.  He calls Himself the 'good shepherd' who acts as a guide, a protector, and a defender.   2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The doorkeeper [ d ] opens the door [ e ] for him, [ f ] and the sheep hear his voice. He [ g ] calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. [ h ] 4 When he has brought all his own sheep [ i ] out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize [ j ] his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger, [ k ] but will run away from him, because they do not recognize [ l ] the stranger’s voice.” -John 10 NET I wonder sometimes if I allow too much noise and distraction to really hear from Jesus.  Do I recognize His voice?  Am I following where He and His voice are lead...

I've been thinking a lot about a concept I read recently called "radical obedience." This is the idea that if and when Jesus commands us to do something or go somewhere, we simply do it - no questions asked. To be honest, this challenges me greatly. Blind obedience with no questions asked. In theory, absolutely! In practice, well, I have questions. Yet, at the end of Jesus' famous 'sermon on the mount', He said it this way in Matthew 7: 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a gre...

Yesterday I was at a concert, and the headliner artist started his set with:  "Hello and welcome...to YOUR town!"  Now, I'm not sure if he didn't remember the name of the town he was in or if he just got a bit off script, but I've been thinking about that phrase "your town."  Hmm. I've never really thought of the town I live in as mine, really.  Yet, I'm starting to think that might be a good way to think of it because it gives me a sense of ownership and investment.  If it were truly my town, I'd be interested in working to keep it healthy and happy and thriving, right?  I guess I'm now thinking about how I can operate for the good of the city and the people who call it home like I do.  How can I help in the economics of the town, or maybe better support the leaders who make decisions for the citizens?  How can I help with the quality of life and those who are underserved? How can I be proactive about the safety and well-being of those w...

I have heard it said by critics of the Bible that the God revealed in the first or 'old' testament is an angry God and the God revealed in the second or 'new' testament is a loving God. I must disagree. In fact, buried in the Torah, in the book of Exodus, we have the famous ten commandments in chapter 20, and look at the text of the second command: 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. -Exodus 20:4-6 (ESV) So, from the beginning of the Hebrew nation's moral laws, God wanted them to know that His love-to-punishment ratio, as it were, was 1000:3! ...

In Jesus' famous sermon on the mount, He makes a connection between the practice of prayer and the discipline of fasting. Here's Matthew's recording of this in chapter 6:9-16 (ESV): Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.  And when you fast..." Prayer AND fasting complement each other well. Jesus' statements seem to affirm and assume people of faith would practice both of these disciplines.  For me, if I am facing a major decision or difficulty, these 2 practices really help enhance my ability to focus, reflect, and really listen to t...