The Rambling Disciple

I think everybody by this point has heard the story coming out of Minneapolis about George Floyd's death at the hands of a police officer. By now the battle lines have been drawn, protests have erupted into riots, and condemnations have been flung from all sides of the political debate. As has been the case so many times across so many issues in America, the reactions have generally coalesced into two camps; the side crying out for justice and the side crying out for order. As is sadly to be expected at this point, Christians are split on their reaction to this event right along these same lines. Some are outraged by the death, others are outraged by the riots, and neither seems that keen on listening to the other. This is sad because I am about to espouse one of the most heretical things that can be said in today's modern, political climate; both sides are right.  As Christians we need to be able to look beyond the partisan divides of our day and view the situation from the va...

One of the great joys of being apart of a community of believers is singing songs of worship together. Be it old hymns, new ballads, or short songs aimed at kids there is something powerful and joyful that happens when Christians come together to sing. It is one of the most commonly stated things that people miss during this time of quarantine and lock-down. Those who know me quickly figure out that I can be rather picky about the songs I like to sing in worship. It isn't based upon whether the song is old or new, long or short; it depends upon whether or not the song is theologically sound. This is something that has only increased with my growing education and learning of Scripture. When we think of the power hymns have we usually think about how they can uplift the sorrowful and encourage the weary. This is true and is one reason singing in worship is so wonderful. An often unrealized power that the songs we sing have is the way they can shape our theology and doctrine far more ...

There have been a lot of reactions to the coronavirus situation that is currently plaguing the whole world. This is normal. After all, we are all different people with different experiences and life situations so it is only natural that we would all react in different ways. Some people believe that everyone should remain shuttered in their homes for safety while some see government mandated lock-downs as dangerous overreach. Still others worry about the very real and costly economic effects as millions have now lost their jobs. As with any situation the factors are numerous and complicated. There is one particular set of responses that I find disturbing, however. That would be the inordinate amount of Christians who are against the current measures because it infringes on their rights.  I am an American who loves the rights and freedoms this great country offers. It is nothing short of a blessing to be able to live in such a nation. However, as great a blessing these things can be ...

During the month of May my congregation is reading one chapter of Proverbs every day. If anyone else wants to join in, I encourage you to do so! Proverbs is a book all about helping people grow in wisdom. I also have a confession. Proverbs is the one book of the Bible I struggle with the most. I think if we are completely honest, we don't necessarily like every part of the Bible. We all have favorite books and parts that we go back to again and again. We also have parts we that we just don't know what to do with. This is something we need to be honest about. The Bible is a complex myriad of poetry, history, biography, law code, and so much more. Different parts are bound to appeal to different people. That's OK! This is one of the reasons we need each other, to help shore up one another's weaknesses and struggles. For me Proverbs is where I struggle the most. I like themes and structure. I like tracing an overarching narrative or point through a whole work. Huge...

The more I meditate on the topic of sin and the more I study evil, the more I am convinced of one truth. Evil does not exist, but it is very real. Allow me to explain that seemingly absurd statement. Nothing that exists does so apart from God. God is the source of existence itself, therefore everything that exists derives its existence from God. We see this clearly in Scripture as it repeatedly affirms that God alone is the creator and sustainer of all things. We also see in Scripture that God does nothing evil and is not the cause of evil. In other words, everything God makes is good. Now I can hear the objections being formulated as I type this. "Just look at the world! How can you say evil does not exist?!?" To state the point again, while evil does not exist it is very real and very dangerous. How can this be? Evil is actually a failure to exist. God brings all things into existence. God makes everything good. Evil, then, cannot exist as its own thing, for that woul...

Let's be honest, Scripture is often not nearly as clear and precise as we would like. I think we make a big mistake when insist that everything the Bible teaches is 100% clear. While it is exceptionally clear on the heart of the matter, namely the Gospel, it can be a little tricky outside of that core message. Just think of how many different Christian traditions and groups exist today. There major and minor theological differences between all of them, and all of them point to the Bible as their source for their belief. It would take a great deal of hubris to simply declare "I am right! You all are wrong!" Yet, this is often exactly what we do even though they are simply trying to follow what they believe Scripture to be saying just like us. Now don't mistake me for saying that theological differences don't matter; they do. However, I think a dose of humility and a large helping of grace is mandatory when entering into that discussion. Besides, there is a real...

1 Timothy 2:3-4 "This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." Let's be honest; how many of us genuinely wants what God wants? God wants everybody to be saved and to come to know Jesus. Everybody. Not some people or only those he likes, everybody. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is intended for every person on this planet. If we are all being 100% honest, I think that many of us find ourselves at odds with this desire of God. I'm sure most of us would say  we want all to be saved. I know I do. However, as I look into my heart that may not be true. The more I learn about Nazi atrocities, the less I find myself feeling merciful. The more I learn about the horrific conditions under communist regimes where millions were casually murdered, I find myself less enthusiastic to share the Gospel. As I read headlines daily of child abuse, cold blooded murder, and human traffickers wh...