Wandering Elder

The Trinity is a concept that would be best described as a mystery of faith.  It is not a doctrine spelled out in Scripture, though it is a doctrine the church has agreed is a binding one.  The word trinity itself does not occur in the Bible at all, and there are only glimpses of it as a concept in the Bible itself.  It is, however, a central tenant of our faith.  Yet it remains a mystery and, as a mystery, an intangible.  And intangibility is a hallmark of religion.  Intangible, incorporeal, ethereal, spiritual.  That which cannot be defined, held on to, or even seen.  Intangible.  Perhaps that’s why the church is losing ground – there is no gadget, no app, no hook, no gimmick, no thing . Worship has to be that which becomes the vehicle for experiencing the intangible.  Community has to be that which becomes the vehicle for experiencing the intangible. And much of that community and worship is built on other intangibles – greater intangibles, greater mysteries. Fo

As a follow up to last week's post, I would add these thoughts: One of the great difficulties I have found in the pastorate is the fact that I feel I cannot always be honest with my parishioners.  These days it seems when a pastor says something like that it has to do with their sexuality.  That is not the case here.  In my case it has to do with theology and Biblical interpretation. I find that I am constrained by my profession as a pastor to allow people to voice their beliefs and ideas without feeling I can truly  express my own.  Now, I do feel I can offer my opinion as an alternative more often than not, but I have to do so carefully.  In those situations I have to gingerly and in small increments offer my opinion so as to not totally lose the conversation.  Yet I find I cannot just jump in and say "I believe this," or "I don't hold to that belief," for fear of alienating people for whom a different opinion is not easily shared. I suppose this is

Very recently at a Wednesday night Bible study, I found myself struggling to keep anger out of my heart.  That had to do with the presence of a gentleman who had an issue with a statement I had made in the sermon from the previous Sunday. After church that Sunday, this gentleman approached me to explain his take on what I had said and that I was incorrect.  After a few minutes of dialogue, I felt I had explained my point and that what he had heard was not quite what I had meant.  Believing we were on the same page, we walked away just fine. When I saw him the next Wednesday at Bible study, I was a little surprised - he doesn't normally...well, ever...attend.  Having been in this profession for a while now, I was (sad to say) suspicious.  Moving into the fourth week of a discussion on a particular New Testament book, I continued by picking up where we had left in previous meetings. A few minutes into the discussion which was a little of a recap, this gentleman chimed in and, s

I recently found a flyer/brochure for a Bible themed dinner theater in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  One of the offerings is a dinner show that is called "Ole Timey Gospel Legends" that will feature "Legends of Faith from the Bible and East Tennessee!"  I won't go into the whole list, but the idea sounds laughable already. Legends of faith from the Bible and [insert your immediate area here].  It apparently isn't enough of a draw unless you can tie local "legends of faith" into the mix.  From the Bible are listed Peter, Daniel, Noah, Moses, Elijah, King David, and Ezekiel.  The remaining 13 names are Tennessee legends of faith - and does that mean that they had legendary faith or that their faith is a legend? I'm not saying that the names they have listed aren't legends of faith (Elvis tops the list, by the way), but they seem to pale in comparison to, say, Elijah.  Maybe they do but I find that I don't put them in the same category.