The Hartford Courant had an interesting article this morning on a fact that should not surprise many of us, which is that the number of Americans who affiliate themselves with no religion has increased significantly over the last two decades, from 8% in 1990 to 15% in 2008.  This group, called the “Nones” by the Trinity College researchers responsible for the study, is made up atheists, agnostics, as well as people who consider themselves spiritual but do not affiliate with any particular religious group. As one person interviewed in the article put it, “I do believe in something, but organized religion has no appeal.”  All in all, this group numbers about 34 million strong.

 I have a few thoughts on this trend, but I would be interested in hearing your thoughts as well.  Read more »

 This past Sunday I preached on the fact that God is eternal, that He exists outside of time and is fully present to every moment of time at once.  He is the Alpha and Omega, the one who was there in the beginning and will be there in the end.  He is the unchanging one, who because He exists outside of time does not change in His character, His truth, His promises, or His purposes.  He is the Rock upon which we stand in our faith.

One of the classic passages that speaks to God’s view of time is found in 2 Peter 3:8:  “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”  Read more »

When I was younger, I used to assume that pastors and priests must get free tickets to heaven for giving their life to the service of God.  I no longer believe that, now that I know that God’s grace and favor are not earned but are a free gift, and that we serve Him not for what we can get from Him but because of what we have already gotten from Him.  I’m not in this ministry for the free ticket, the money, the hours, or any of those reasons; I am doing this because I believe this is what God has made me to do.  Last week I shared five of the challenges that are unique to the pastor’s job.  This week, let me share three of the blessings that are unique to this calling. 
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“It must be nice to only work one day a week!”

Ahh, the pastor’s favorite words to hear.  To those unfamiliar with church life, it may seem that the pastor does little more than stand up on a Sunday and speak for thirty minutes and then shake hands with people as they live.  The reality, of course, is quite different.  The pastor’s job is one of the most unique jobs out there, in my opinion, and I thought it might be instructive to share five of the challenges that are unique to the pastor’s job.  Next week, I will share some of the blessings that are unique to this calling.  What I write is not meant as a complaint; rather, I believe it will help you know better how to pray for me and my family, and will be helpful to any of you who are considering going into the ministry.
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