“I think my child is ready to be baptized.” Regular pastors hear these words regularly. Little Johnny has asked a question about heaven, angels, death, or something remotely spiritual, and now Johnny’s parents think he’s ready to be baptized. Setting all skepticism aside, this is an encouraging and exciting development in the life of any child.
Genesis 3 is a story of sin, transgression, rebellion, defiance, and treason. It’s also a story of fig leaves, hide and seek, and blame. Rather than taking the path of confession, Adam and Eve chose the path of sewing fig leaf clothing, hiding from the presence of God, and blaming others for their sin.
Human beings instinctively long for justice. Our definitions of justice may be rooted in different value systems, but we all long for justice. We want things to be set right.
The statistics about pornography consumption and production are alarming. In my role as a regular pastor, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised at the number of men who talk to me about their struggle with pornography … but I am surprised.
To close the year, I’m sharing the top blog posts and top podcasts of 2018. In 2019 I’ll continue to post a new blog or podcast each week, so check back “next year” for new content on Regular Pastor!
William Chatterton Dix’s most famous hymn is “What Child Is This,” based on the poem “The Manger Throne.” In the hymn, Dix asks the rhetorical question, “What child is this who laid to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping?”
When I read the story of Joseph, I’m always struck by his obedience and faithfulness. Certainly I don’t want to make Joseph “the” hero of the story. He is, however, remarkably obedient and faithful once he arrives in Egypt.
Recently I’ve read through The Pastor, Peterson’s memoir. Towards the end of this self-reflective work, Peterson gives a remarkable description of church in America. I’m not championing everything Peterson wrote, said, preached, or stood for. However, his writing has struck a chord with me – a regular pastor.
Any student of the Bible knows the treasure of doctrine that is found on the pages of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. However, Romans also contains a remarkable amount of personal correspondence. While our theological formulations may come from the doctrinal portions of the book, Paul’s personal correspondence offers a beautiful description of Christian ministry.
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