This is as close to a rant as there is in the Bible. Oh, who am I kidding? This is a rant by Paul who is wrought with frustration and maybe a dash of righteous anger. He just can’t believe how stupid the Galatians are thinking and behaving! I envision Paul pacing back and forth as he dictates his letter to the Galatians, and the more he thinks about, the more upset he’s getting. He’s beside himself and can’t quite find the words to fully express his incredulity. Here’s the rant from Galatians 3:1-14 as translated by Eugene Peterson in The Message…it’s a long passage…but then once Paul got on a roll I don’t know that he even took a breath because he was so distraught.
Places I Visit
- Be The Church
This is the website for the national "Don't Go To Church--Be The Church." - Louann's Blog
This is Louann's blog as the superintendent of Sonoma Valley School District. - St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, Sonoma, CA
Books worth reading
Max Lucado: Celebrating Christmas with Jesus: An Advent Devotional
Excellent devotions for Advent. Try putting it on your phone with a Kindle App.Dietrich Bonhoeffer: God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas
This is what I'll be using for my Advent readings.Rob Bell: Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived
Rob has stirred up a hornet's nest of controversy in some circles, but I found his thoughts not only scriptural, but very helpful. This is a book I highly recommend and am reading a second time I thought it was so good.Scott M. Stanley: A Lasting Promise: A Christian Guide to Fighting for Your Marriage
This is one of the best and most practical handbooks on how to succeed in our most important relationship...our marriages. Must read for all couples, especially those married more than seven years. We can fall into some bad, even deadly habits, that Stanley addresses.Mitch Albom: Have a Little Faith: A True Story
Mike Weiss put this in my hands and I couldn't put it down. Mitch Albom writes about his Rabbi's request that Mitch present his eulogy and how that request opened a spiritual door in his life that changed him. Along the way he meets a black preacher who serves the homeless in Detroit, and together they experience God's leading and grace as an ex-drug deal turned preacher and a Jewish writer experience something very special. This is a must read.Donald Miller: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life
Donald Miller is wise beyond his years. His insights continue to challenge me to grow in new ways. Life is just too precious and exciting to waste it living boring lives, so this is Miller's challenge to us to live the life God created us to live.Gerald L. Sittser: Love One Another: Becoming the Church Jesus Longs for
This is the book which prompted me to preach on the "One anothers." I too share Gerald's passion for the church to become the church Jesus intended and intends for us to be. We get so distracted arguing over so many things we deem important, that we fail to pay attention to the things Jesus said were important. I heartily recommend reading this book.Jim Collins: Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great
The Sonoma Valley School District leadership is reading this, so I jumped on the bandwagon. I just ordered copies for our church staff. Clearly written to challenge non-profits to go from good to great. I couldn't put it down. Thirty pages of gold.Jr., James Stuart Bell: The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Bible, Third Edition
This book gets great reviews on Amazon and I found it to be very helpful and cover the bases for anyone who is getting serious about learning to read and appreciate the Bible. Bell provides "how to" tips, historical background, and a host of other helpful information. While the title seems humorous, this is a very serious tool.Adam Hamilton: Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White: Thoughts on Religion, Morality, and Politics
Adam has put into words my struggle to find a way forward theologically in the midst of artificial “either/or” choices. Adam tackles all the BIG questions we ask our faith—questions about heaven and hell, salvation offered to followers of other religions, to name just two. I don’t always agree with his conclusions, but his is a fresh and welcome voice.
Sermon Quotes
- Abraham Lincoln:
When a pious minister told Lincoln he "hoped the Lord is on our side," the president responded, "I am not at all concerned about that.... But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side." - Man's Prayer
“I'm a man…but I can change…if I have to…I guess.”
