Commentary
Sermon: Greatness in God's Eyes
Jesus taught his disciples that true greatness comes through serving others, not through seeking power or status. While the disciples argued about who would be greatest in God's kingdom, Jesus demonst
Pride & Humility
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Commentary
Sermon: Vainglory Part 2
Pride is essentially competitive by nature, finding pleasure not in having something but in having more of it than others, as C.S. Lewis explains in his analysis of vainglory or "empty glory." This se
Commentary
Sermon: Vainglory
The pastor shares personal reflections on humility lessons learned during a recent sabbatical, confessing his ongoing struggle with pride—an issue that was a concern during his pastoral assessment. Th
Reflection
I am a servant. (leader)
Confession: Although I have been able to recite to you the correct Sunday school definition of servant-leadership ever since my 7th grade ELCA church youth leader, Amy, drilled it into our heads, I think, to my shame, I am just now coming to understand it. I am coming to understand that, in my soul, I’ve always […]
Essay
Four Essential Prerequisites for Focus
Focus is essential for success in any endeavor, and I’m terrible at it (most of the time). A friend of mine used the phrase “professional squirrel hunter” to describe me. (Note: this is a reference to the dog in the movie Up. “SQUIRREL!”) But my pseudo-ADD isn’t the only reason for the lack of focus. […]
Essay
Dear Christian, Stick to the Basics.
There is a type of pride I’ve noticed in my life and in the life of others that refuses to rejoice in, love, and submit to the basics of the Christian faith, because they don’t seem yield immediate results in your felt needs. This type of pride kills your worship, short circuits your Christian life, […]
Reflection
9 Things That Remind Me That I’m Not God Part 2
Before I list reasons four, five, and six, I realized I did not do so good a job giving a basis for my non-God-likeness at each point. One comment was made on the last point about our being made in God’s image. I do not intend to give a defense of the Christian doctrine of […]
Reflection
Nine Things That Remind Me That I’m Not God Part 1
Because sometimes I forget. The last few weeks of reflection have brought something to mind that was a fairly interesting revelation to me. It wasn’t an all-at-once sort of realization, but more of a compilation of many thoughts I’ve had over the last couple of years. This post (series) is an exercise in thinking through […]