TweetI was listening to a podcast and heard the preacher say something about things being kept within ‘the confines of marriage.” No need to stop the presses…people say that all of the time. But this time it struck me funny: The confines of marriage. con·fine v. con·fined, con·fin·ing, con·fines To keep within bounds; restrict: See Synonyms at limit. To shut or [...]
TweetA lot of us protestant types aren’t exactly experts on the subject of Lent. The continuum of lent awareness goes like this: This post will only be helpful to the JV squad on the left side of that continuum. If you’re positioned more toward the right side you might want to consult an expert. Or [...]
TweetThis is a follow-up to yesterday’s post, “I’m a pastor, and my job’s no worse than yours.” My kids watch Thomas the Train. It’s a show about life. It’s not about trains. In many episodes there’s drama over which lucky engine will get to deliver the ‘special.’ Delivering a ‘special’ means you were chosen to [...]
TweetI feel I have a license to rip on pastors because I am one. It’s not true that I have a license, I just feel that way. I’ll try not to let that false perception push me to being a jerk…but I do have a slight bone to pick with people like me. It seems [...]
TweetThe world is full of traditional pairings. You know, stuff that just always seems to go together. PB & J Parties & regrets Jordan & Pippen Dating & drama etc… You can’t seem to have one without the other. Sometimes that magnetism makes for great things (i.e., PB & J) and sometimes not (i.e., dating [...]
TweetThere has always been a debate about how to apply what we read in the Bible about politics. Israel was a theocracy. That meant (among other things) that the Church and the State weren’t separated. Taxes and tithes were all dumped into the same pot! But that system changed when Israel demanded a king. At that [...]
TweetYesterday: some different forms of God’s will. Today: a false distinction between forms of God’s will. I’ll keep this simple: The oft-discussed ‘perfect will of God’ is a redundant statement. If it’s his will it’s perfect, by default. The problem with the phrase is that it gives rise to a false version of God’s will: the [...]
Tweet Limos don’t age well. I drove by an older one a few weeks back. It looked terrible. And not for reasons you might think: It had been maintained well. It was clean and free of dents. It was driven by a professional-looking, kind-faced chap. It wasn’t even that old, actually (it was probably newer [...]
TweetThe baptism in the Holy Spirit is certainly one of the most polarizing issues in Christianity (I feel dirty calling it an ‘issue’). There’s tons of confusion, a fair amount of accusation, and not nearly enough open and thoughtful dialogue. As with any polarizing ‘issue’ people tend to run to one side or another…and then [...]
TweetSteve Jobs and the Apple Corp. planned to revolutionize higher education, and they just might. But Christian education’s going to be revitalized first. Why? Because the Church is filled with some of the most innovative and creative people in the world…and they’re not nearly as concerned about who owns the content. When it’s not about [...]
TweetThe other day I asked Matt, “What are church bands going to do when it’s not cool to rip-off U2 and Coldplay anymore?” It sounds angsty in print, but it wasn’t. It’s a legit question, ‘cause the day is coming…in fact, it might already be here. It’s been a good run (I’d say a good 10-12 [...]
TweetThere’s plenty of debate about whether or not the iPad’s a big deal. But as a pastor, it’s been a pretty big deal for me. Here are 9 ways I use it to do ministry that have made a significant difference: Teaching notes. Sometimes I need nothing more than an index card for sermon notes. [...]
Aaron McCarter is the Lead Pastor of Maryville Vineyard Church in East TN.
