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Posted on June 6, 2013, 6:19 am | 6 comments

Perhaps in some of your studies you have found, probably through the help of commentaries, how a Hebrew prophet plays with words in order to communicate his message. The way in which the narrator of the Jonah story has crafted this book is indeed exciting. A variety of words are sprinkled throughout the book to give it a hidden and enriching unity. I can only... Read more »

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	Listening to God Through Reading Posted on June 6, 2013, 6:00 am \| 4 comments I recently attended a conference on spiritual leadership. The conference teacher encouraged us all to read many books on leadership. But he also encouraged us to spend considerable time reading books spiritually. So what does this mean? Spiritual reading is about quality, not quantity. It is to read a book with this question in mind... Read more »
	Always Saying Yes Posted on May 30, 2013, 6:08 am "Just because someone asks doesn't mean you should do." I heard Mark Cuban say this during a recent episode of Shark Tank. In a show where entrepreneurs try to get funding from a panel of successful business leaders to jumpstart their company, Cuban, the well-known owner of the Dallas Mavericks, was trying to figure out why someone wanted to take their business in a certain direction... Read more »
	We Believe. Help Our Unbelief. Posted on May 28, 2013, 9:44 am \| 4 comments I still cannot comprehend these facts three weeks after it all began. They've been playing in my head like a wicked song I can’t turn off. My response is not unique. Why does this young man’s death and his family’s grief make such a deep impact on so many who never knew Tim Bosma? Read more »
	Counting What Counts Posted on May 23, 2013, 6:50 am It was the third evening in a row I had heard the steady hum of amplified music reverberating through the night air. In North America, I would have imagined the source to be a group of teenagers grinding out their favorite tunes in a garage. But in Nicaragua it is not teenagers who make the racket. “It’s the churches,” my host explained. “We’ve got five of them in this neighborhood. And they have services six nights a week.” Read more »
	An Open and Shut Case Posted on May 16, 2013, 8:43 am \| 10 comments In the forum regarding Overtures 3 & 4 for this year’s Synod, Meg Jenista quoted Augustine of Hippo, who said: "In the essentials, unity. In the non-essentials, liberty and in all things, charity." So what’s the question? The question is: what are the essentials, and what are the non-essentials when it comes to our faith? Read more »
	Dealing with Death and Dying Posted on May 16, 2013, 7:15 am \| 3 comments In two years I’ve done 24 funerals. Three of which have been for someone under the age of 70. One was for a baby. Each time, no one knew how to deal with death and dying. They kept going back to praying for the miracle. Praying against hope that things will not end in the inevitable. As pastors, ours is the calling to... Read more »
	Christians as Athletes and Fans: Double Vision-Single Focus Posted on May 9, 2013, 6:42 am Because of the radical changes in the sporting world, some rather difficult issues face any Christian believer or institution involved in competitive sports. To be honest, I think these changes have made it harder for the fan to keep a good Christian testimony than the athlete... Read more »
	To Glorify God Posted on May 2, 2013, 6:51 am \| 1 comment What do the Scriptures mean when they refer to glorifying God? This teaching is, of course, a common one in Reformed circles. From childhood I have heard the exhortation, “Glorify God in all of life.” What this meant was that in everything that we do, we should reflect the glory of God—that we are children of God. People should be able to see from the way... Read more »
	The Unnecessary Pastor Posted on April 25, 2013, 7:06 am \| 5 comments I am learning that being a pastor is not about having the perfect text picked out for the anxious soul, articulating with winsome ease encouraging words to the grieving, dying, depressed, and preaching sermons where riots break out in the parking lot because of the work of the gospel (think Apostle Paul in Ephesus). I am learning by God’s grace the role of the pastor is about becoming unnecessary... Read more »
	The Holy Spirit and the Sermon – A Friendly Reminder For Those Who Preach Posted on April 25, 2013, 6:39 am \| 6 comments Among all too many of us there is a hidden, unspoken, forgivable kind of blasphemy. It is the protest of Jeremiah when the Lord appointed him a prophet to the nations: “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak” (Jeremiah 1:6). Unintended blasphemy – to preach, or refuse to preach, as if successful preaching depended primarily on me. The blasphemy is the implication that preaching is... Read more »
	Thoughts on Pastoral Reading Posted on April 25, 2013, 6:38 am \| 2 comments Kelly (name changed) was a hardworking farmer—a salt of the earth kind of guy. He became a Follower of Jesus as an adult. And although he’s made considerable spiritual progress over the years, he admits that his growth is hindered because he struggles to read—especially God’s Word. I tell this story because it relates to one of my ongoing challenges in pastoral ministry: reading... Read more »
	The Other Side of 'Quitting Time' Posted on April 18, 2013, 6:28 am \| 3 comments First it was a short article in Christianity Today, and then Sam Hamstra’s piece came in, and today I read that John Piper preached his last sermon Easter Sunday in his congregation in the Twin Cities. Suddenly, everywhere I turn retirement is being written about, and I think that is good, although late for me since I retired in 2008... Read more »
	What's a Preacher to Do? Posted on April 18, 2013, 6:23 am \| 6 comments It's difficult for me to believe that it's been now close to 8 years since I left my last congregation as pastor and weekly preacher. I like to think that my ability to draw on nearly 16 years' worth of preaching experience helps me in my job now training up a new generation of preachers via our students here at Calvin Seminary. But every once in a while I realize that maybe I've been out of the "game" just long enough that I have lost touch a little with the struggles of preachers today... Read more »
	Give Me a Break! Posted on April 11, 2013, 6:54 am Why are we sometimes so hard on ourselves? Or, for that matter, hard on each other? Ever notice that? No wonder someone said recently, “Christians can sometimes be SO mean!” That hurt to hear. But I think he was more right than I might care to admit. We CAN be mean – to ourselves, to each other... Read more »
	Sensible Shoes Posted on April 11, 2013, 6:52 am \| 1 comment Spiritual biographies can be compelling reading. But fictional treatment of the spiritual journeys of four women? What kind of book would that be? And why would I read it? I had heard such good things about Sensible Shoes. And I DO find it helpful to hear others reflect on their deepening walk with Jesus and how that relationship... Read more »


	Listening to God Through Reading Posted on June 6, 2013, 6:00 am \| 4 comments I recently attended a conference on spiritual leadership. The conference teacher encouraged us all to read many books on leadership. But he also encouraged us to spend considerable time reading books spiritually. So what does this mean? Spiritual reading is about quality, not quantity. It is to read a book with this question in mind... Read more »
	Always Saying Yes Posted on May 30, 2013, 6:08 am "Just because someone asks doesn't mean you should do." I heard Mark Cuban say this during a recent episode of Shark Tank. In a show where entrepreneurs try to get funding from a panel of successful business leaders to jumpstart their company, Cuban, the well-known owner of the Dallas Mavericks, was trying to figure out why someone wanted to take their business in a certain direction... Read more »
	We Believe. Help Our Unbelief. Posted on May 28, 2013, 9:44 am \| 4 comments I still cannot comprehend these facts three weeks after it all began. They've been playing in my head like a wicked song I can’t turn off. My response is not unique. Why does this young man’s death and his family’s grief make such a deep impact on so many who never knew Tim Bosma? Read more »
	Counting What Counts Posted on May 23, 2013, 6:50 am It was the third evening in a row I had heard the steady hum of amplified music reverberating through the night air. In North America, I would have imagined the source to be a group of teenagers grinding out their favorite tunes in a garage. But in Nicaragua it is not teenagers who make the racket. “It’s the churches,” my host explained. “We’ve got five of them in this neighborhood. And they have services six nights a week.” Read more »
	An Open and Shut Case Posted on May 16, 2013, 8:43 am \| 10 comments In the forum regarding Overtures 3 & 4 for this year’s Synod, Meg Jenista quoted Augustine of Hippo, who said: "In the essentials, unity. In the non-essentials, liberty and in all things, charity." So what’s the question? The question is: what are the essentials, and what are the non-essentials when it comes to our faith? Read more »
	Dealing with Death and Dying Posted on May 16, 2013, 7:15 am \| 3 comments In two years I’ve done 24 funerals. Three of which have been for someone under the age of 70. One was for a baby. Each time, no one knew how to deal with death and dying. They kept going back to praying for the miracle. Praying against hope that things will not end in the inevitable. As pastors, ours is the calling to... Read more »
	Christians as Athletes and Fans: Double Vision-Single Focus Posted on May 9, 2013, 6:42 am Because of the radical changes in the sporting world, some rather difficult issues face any Christian believer or institution involved in competitive sports. To be honest, I think these changes have made it harder for the fan to keep a good Christian testimony than the athlete... Read more »
	To Glorify God Posted on May 2, 2013, 6:51 am \| 1 comment What do the Scriptures mean when they refer to glorifying God? This teaching is, of course, a common one in Reformed circles. From childhood I have heard the exhortation, “Glorify God in all of life.” What this meant was that in everything that we do, we should reflect the glory of God—that we are children of God. People should be able to see from the way... Read more »
	The Unnecessary Pastor Posted on April 25, 2013, 7:06 am \| 5 comments I am learning that being a pastor is not about having the perfect text picked out for the anxious soul, articulating with winsome ease encouraging words to the grieving, dying, depressed, and preaching sermons where riots break out in the parking lot because of the work of the gospel (think Apostle Paul in Ephesus). I am learning by God’s grace the role of the pastor is about becoming unnecessary... Read more »
	The Holy Spirit and the Sermon – A Friendly Reminder For Those Who Preach Posted on April 25, 2013, 6:39 am \| 6 comments Among all too many of us there is a hidden, unspoken, forgivable kind of blasphemy. It is the protest of Jeremiah when the Lord appointed him a prophet to the nations: “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak” (Jeremiah 1:6). Unintended blasphemy – to preach, or refuse to preach, as if successful preaching depended primarily on me. The blasphemy is the implication that preaching is... Read more »
	Thoughts on Pastoral Reading Posted on April 25, 2013, 6:38 am \| 2 comments Kelly (name changed) was a hardworking farmer—a salt of the earth kind of guy. He became a Follower of Jesus as an adult. And although he’s made considerable spiritual progress over the years, he admits that his growth is hindered because he struggles to read—especially God’s Word. I tell this story because it relates to one of my ongoing challenges in pastoral ministry: reading... Read more »
	The Other Side of 'Quitting Time' Posted on April 18, 2013, 6:28 am \| 3 comments First it was a short article in Christianity Today, and then Sam Hamstra’s piece came in, and today I read that John Piper preached his last sermon Easter Sunday in his congregation in the Twin Cities. Suddenly, everywhere I turn retirement is being written about, and I think that is good, although late for me since I retired in 2008... Read more »
	What's a Preacher to Do? Posted on April 18, 2013, 6:23 am \| 6 comments It's difficult for me to believe that it's been now close to 8 years since I left my last congregation as pastor and weekly preacher. I like to think that my ability to draw on nearly 16 years' worth of preaching experience helps me in my job now training up a new generation of preachers via our students here at Calvin Seminary. But every once in a while I realize that maybe I've been out of the "game" just long enough that I have lost touch a little with the struggles of preachers today... Read more »
	Give Me a Break! Posted on April 11, 2013, 6:54 am Why are we sometimes so hard on ourselves? Or, for that matter, hard on each other? Ever notice that? No wonder someone said recently, “Christians can sometimes be SO mean!” That hurt to hear. But I think he was more right than I might care to admit. We CAN be mean – to ourselves, to each other... Read more »
	Sensible Shoes Posted on April 11, 2013, 6:52 am \| 1 comment Spiritual biographies can be compelling reading. But fictional treatment of the spiritual journeys of four women? What kind of book would that be? And why would I read it? I had heard such good things about Sensible Shoes. And I DO find it helpful to hear others reflect on their deepening walk with Jesus and how that relationship... Read more »

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