Elders

What comes first the chicken or the egg?  What comes first what we do or what we say we will do?

What is the bottom line?  My wife and I just purchased a new car and that was the question that we asked ourselves as well as the dealer who sold us the car.  With that question fresh on my mind, I thought about it in a larger context; namely life.  

My father adhered to the old adage, “Spare the rod; spoil the child”.  He did not spoil many of his six children. In fact school faculties were not hesitant to use the same method of discipline.

One striking difference between pastoring and social work is the function and role of supervision.  Professional supervision consists of a candid review and empowering of both the social worker’s practice and personhood in order to practice ethically and therapeutically and “do no harm” to the clients. I believe that pastors need a similar kind of supervision.

So what is "Mutual Censure" really all about? In a Council meeting if someone has an issue the sooner it is placed on the table, discussed and resolved the better future council meeting will be.  It prevents council members seeing each other from a bias perspective.

Is “confession good for the soul” still true in today’s society or for that matter in the church? Two out of three churches I attended recently did not contain “ a Call to Confession and Words of Assurance” in their order of worship. In fact two out the three churches seldom if ever have it in the order of worship.

I think what binds the Christian Reformed Church together as a denomination is not so much what we do as compared to what we believe. Over the years of our existence our confessions have not changed much (if at all). However, how we practice what we believe as changed. One area that has changed significantly is our worship services.

To belong to a specific denomination means more education as to the specific church one joins. One is being a member of the body of Christ; the other is being part of a specific denomination of that larger body. I confess that I believe I did have a “handle” of what it meant to profess ones’ faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, but besides having ...

Today, I retire from writing this blog. The regular writing and posting has been demanding. And yet the simple exercise of writing a few words has forced me to give attention to passing thoughts and deepen my reflections. For this I am grateful. That some took time to read these thoughts humbles me. 

Good daily habits are harder to maintain in a disruptive culture.  The daily habit of Prayer and scripture reading at the table ... The weekly habit of church attendance ...Yet good habits are essential for the good Kingdom orientated life.