Recently I re-read Charles M. Sheldon’s best-selling novel, "In His Steps." Do you remember it? The novel begins with a dramatic scene in church. The Rev. Henry Maxwell has just completed his sermon.

Most basic theological terms come from Greek or Latin, but one sprang from English: atonement. Here, the –ment suffix is used to refer to the result of something, like amazement is the result of ...

SAN FRANCISCO – Discipleship in Jesus’ time meant getting as close to the Rabbi as one could, close enough that the dust from the Rabbi’s sandals would fall on his disciple. That’s how close Jesus ...

Our granddaughters, Gianna and Makayla, helped us decorate our Christmas tree this year. When my wife and I were dating many, many years ago, my home town minister and his wife gave us a small crèche, ...

Today’s Gospel story always causes controversy. At the very least, it still has the power to surprise. Matthew’s Gospel has Jesus initially turning down a woman who has asked for healing for her ...

What does it look like to practice what Jesus taught? It means valuing honesty rather than taking advantage of people, it means taking care of one another’s needs rather than leaving people without ...

This week, a friend arrived at our weekly supper club with a large Black Forest gateau. Slicing into it revealed unctuous layers of rum-soaked chocolate sponge, cream, jam, meringue, and chocolate, ...

The Sunday's lectionary reading for the Third before Advent in Year C is Luke 20.27–38, and epistle is Paul's discussion of the 'man of lawlessness' in 2 Thess 2. For video discussions, see here for ...

Four cultural values entice us toward an Americanized messiah instead of the crucified Christ. As pastors immersed in Western culture, it’s difficult to disentangle our view of Jesus from the ...

Of all feast days and holy days of the year, which one day is the holiest ... to Jews? Hopefully, before I said “to Jews,” you were thinking of Easter, which, for us, is the solemnity of solemnities, ...

What does it mean to follow Jesus? ?Mania-for-more? philosophy can?t be justified Mysterious Ways Pastor Doug Fincher My son Mark started attending church again over a year ago and has only had to ...