Central Christian Church(Disciples of Christ)

I once heard someone say if the church is to remain true to the ministry Jesus began it must become more participative, interactive and experiential – which also makes a nice acronym: P.I.E. The basic idea is that the world today is more like the world in which Jesus lived. In other words, we live [...]

I was reading about a pastor who said that every time he dedicates a baby, he is extremely aware of the necessity for the variety of gifts in his congregation. And I understand what he means. When I do a baby dedication, I not only ask the parents to dedicate themselves to the Christian nurture [...]

On Friday of this week (Jan. 6th), the season of Epiphany begins – exactly 12 days after Christmas day. The word Epiphany means “manifestation” or “showing forth” and it celebrates the visit of the magi to the baby Jesus. The magi, or wise men, were from the East – from a different culture and very [...]

In her poem BC:AD the British poet U.A. Fanthorpe, the first woman to be nominated as Professor of Poetry at Oxford University, captures the unremarkable circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus. Nothing really unusual was happening that night. In the backwater town of Bethlehem, 1,400 miles from the central power of imperial Rome, government bean-counters [...]

I think it’s safe to say that Mary received the news of Jesus’ coming birth with great joy. Almost like a Broadway musical, she breaks into song – “My soul magnifies the Lord!” On the other hand, a certain King Herod also responded to the news of Jesus’ birth. I don’t think anyone would have [...]

The more I learn about both the Bible – and human history – the more I am convinced of God’s providential hand at work in the midst of everything. That Isaiah would prophesy the birth of a messiah – a Prince of Peace – and later describe a “suffering servant” who takes away the sins [...]

Whenever Thanksgiving rolls around I find my heart turning towards home and family. For many years we were able to all gather around a common table – usually my mother’s or grandmother’s. More recently, we get together in clumps – some of us in Iowa – some in Indiana or Ohio. But it doesn’t really [...]

I think there is some irony in the fact that being a follower of Jesus is considered “typical” and “normal” in our culture. During Jesus’ ministry and in the early church, being a disciple of Christ put a person at odds with the world – oftentimes in ways that put believers at serious risk. Jesus, [...]

This coming Sunday (November 6th), along with other believers around the world, we will be celebrating All Saints Sunday. In the Catholic Church, every day of the year is designated by the celebration of a particular saint – typically a person of great faith who was martyred on that day. Eventually, one Sunday was set [...]

With Daylight Savings time ending soon, I remembered hearing a story about a very tired looking young pastor who got up in front of his church on the Sunday when Daylight Savings time began and said, “I don’t know about you, but the hour we lost last night not only affected my sleep, it was [...]