Grief sometimes comes in layers. The news of Ahmaud Arbery’s death grieved me this past week, though I couldn’t quite narrow down just one root of the grief. Multiple factors played a role. I grieved over the loss of life, grieved over the unjust manner in which life was taken, grieved over...
In front of all the people, Pilate washed his hands, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood” (Matthew 27:24-26). He wasn’t. The crowds answered him, hungrily: “his blood be on us and on our children!” It was, but not in the way they thought. The chief priests were there coaching the crowd, not...
In these days of heightened stress, I am reminded again of the need for relying on the Lord instead of ourselves. I first came to realize the Lord was calling me to ministry in the middle of my freshman year of college. I surrendered my plans to the plans of the...
Every week, I saw them: Monday through Friday. They would walk into my office, and the story was always the same. They have been robbed of friends, family, employment, and time. I hear them say a statement akin to “I have turned every bridge I had into ashes.” By the time...
COVID-19 seems to have turned everything upside down. The pandemic has changed the way we work, the way we worship and the way we connect with others. (Recently, Jamie Dew, our president, talked about continuing to follow the Great Commission in a COVID-19 world). But what about service? After all, Jesus says if...
When my daughter was young, she wanted a lemonade stand to raise money to help with summer camp expenses. I was proud. Later, I realized I had missed her point entirely. Our church group was headed to G.A. camp, a missions camp for girls. I was delighted that my daughter...
I (Joe) recently sat down with Jamie and asked him some questions about COVID-19. Specifically, about the Great Commission. How do we as a church – practically – stay faithful to the Great Commission in such an upside-down time? Here’s my interview, edited for space (listen to the full version on...
Confession: The “deacon call list” has always caused me a bit of anxiety. You know, that list of church members a deacon calls during times of crisis or when the church is introducing new initiatives. I am perplexed by the anxiety. I’m a people person and I like to talk. Perhaps...
