Luke 4:14-30 Mission First: Gathered Series Second Sunday of Epiphany January 15, 2017 First Christian Church Mahtomedi, MN If Donald Trump showed up at the door of this church, would you let him in? Just hold that thought for a bit. A few years ago, I was involved in helping the church I was at... Continue Reading →
Mistakes, I’ve Made A Few
The email said it in clear words. I had made a mistake. And people weren't too happy about it. Making a mistake in my world can be a big deal, at least in my mind. It brings up fears and shame. I start to worry that I will lose my job (something that has happened)... Continue Reading →
Preach the Gospel. Use Words.
The fact of the matter is that we are called to preach the gospel. NOT be the gospel; that's something onlyJesus can do. NOT live out the gospel, because again, Jesus. We are called to preach the gospel and since we don't possess the power to speak telepathically to people, we have to say something.
Should We 86 2016?
2016 has been considered a dumpster fire of a year. David Bowie, Prince and Carrie Fisher all left us this year. But some had bigger dumpster fires than others. Where was God in 2016?
Progressive Christian and Trump Voters
The first day or two after the election I decided to contact friends and acquaintences of mine who had voted for Donald Trump. I wanted to apologize if I said anything off-putting to them. To a person, all of them were gracious and even told me why they considered voting for Trump. I took their... Continue Reading →
Who’s In Charge?
I'm not freaking out because I truly believe that my ultimate allegiance is in Christ and not who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I believe God is in control.
…to give you a future filled with hope
Too often, Jeremiah 29:11 is seen as a route to success. But I don't think this is what this verse is about, especially since what I've learned about Jeremiah is that his life wasn't that awesome.
“Create Joy” | Genesis 2:4b-7, 15-17; 3:1-8 | Mission First: Called Series |Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost | September 11, 2016 | First Christian Church of St. Paul | Dennis Sanders, preaching Listen to the sermon by using the player below. Before I get into today’s sermon, I wanted to share a little bit about what... Continue Reading →
Questions on the Disciples and the Local Church
Disclaimer: I have to start this blog post off by saying that the following criticism is not directed at any one person. It is NOT a personal attack on anybody. This is a critique of a larger system that people might be a part of, but again my beef is with the system and not... Continue Reading →
What Is Mission First All About?
At the 2015 General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Columbus, Ohio, those gathered heard about a new initiative being rolled out called Mission First. Mission First seems to be a way to retool the denomination for the 21st century. A central part of this initiative is to have Mission Gatherings... Continue Reading →