Giving Thanks Like The Pilgrims

Several years ago, my wife and I had the opportunity to take a three day "American History" tour for college credit through Massachusetts.  That kindled a deep respect and ongoing appreciation for the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620.

Since then, Thanksgiving has become my favorite national holiday.  No surprise there!  I love to eat, gather with family, nap through football games and watch advertisers attempt to commercialize a holiday meant to focus on giving thanks, not acquiring more.  And I always love to review the history of the Pilgrims and Plymouth Plantation.

COEXIST? Yes and No

 

It's a popular bumper sticker these days.  Spelled out with the symbols of a number of different - often conflicting - religions and groups, it sometimes seems like a desperate plea: "Can't all you folks just get along?!?"  Or maybe an authoritative command from someone who knows better than those conflicting adherents do?  It's hard to tell.

So can people from all these different faith commitments really coexist?  Should they?  I think the Gospel of Grace answers with both a "Yes" and a "No."

Beautiful, Art and the Gospel of Grace

Conservative Evangelicals like me are typically not known for their "artsy" orientation to life.  I'm thankful that the Gospel of Grace is setting me free from that.

Circles of Relationship

Years ago a pattern from the life of Jesus was pointed out to me.  My life and ministry have been shaped by it ever since.  It is key to our vision for community and care here at Christ Covenant.  It is based on three "circles of relationship" that can be seen in the life of Jesus.

Our Field of Ministry: Demographics of Christ Covenant's Target Area

In June of 2009, Christ Covenant commissioned a demographic study of our target area by the Percept Group - a demographic study organization specializing in information for Christian ministries.


Percept prepared a report focused on the people living in a 5-mile radius of Salem Elementary School - 4501 Jackson Rd. - where we meet on Sunday mornings for worship.  It is a large report, full of numbers, graphs and comparisons.  Lots of interesting things to think about and ponder.

Bearing Fruit or Doing Better? The Gospel of Grace and Christian Maturity

What does Christian Maturity (theologically speaking: the process of sanctification) look like in the real world?  What should people around us see happening in our life over time as we grow in Christ-likeness?  I've been learning that the Gospel of Grace has a surprising answer to questions of this sort.

They Did Not Really Belong To Us . . .

Whatever the Supreme Court might decide to do with him, I think the Apostle John would consider Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church to be an anti-christ.  Not the big Anti-christ, mind you, but an antichrist all the same.  I say that knowing that the Apostle John knew Jesus first hand.