We are not made to be alone.  In the biblical account society begins with marriage, a man and a woman who create a family.  We are made to be born into and nurtured by a family.  Families become clans; clans become tribes; and eventually we get beyond bloodlines and connect by common interest or shared purpose.  We make life better for all of us by working together, whether by cooperation or frien...  Read More

When a visitor isn’t made to feel welcome at a church, the visitor’s assumption is often that the people are cliquish snobs.  Sometimes that may be true, but I’ve discovered that more often the real problem is FEAR – people are afraid to reach out to new people.  Here are some reasons I’ve heard that people don’t reach out.“It’s not my job.” Some people feel it’s ONLY the job of the pastors (or g...  Read More

A woman once posted a criticism of our church on social media.  No one, she huffed, had reached out even to say ‘hello’ when she visited a service.  She publicly recommended avoiding Mountain View Chapel.I contacted her, apologized for her bad experience, and asked how she managed to get through our army of greeters.  It turned out she had come in late, sat in the back row, and slipped out during ...  Read More

There are two parts of ministry to people: (1) winning them to faith in Christ and (2) building a connected ‘society’ (the church) in which the faith and love for others is lived out.  This second objective requires meaningful interaction and connection between people, and on a practical level there is no way you can meaningfully interact and connect with all the 300+ or so people in our church. M...  Read More

We’re now caught in that strange black hole where time stands still – the week between Christmas and New Year.  That week always directs my thoughts to turning the page, looking ahead, preparing for the next challenge.One of the observations I’ve made on human nature over the years is that people choose either to experience one of two discomforts:  debt or making do with less.  We are most likely ...  Read More

We evangelicals make the Christmas story warm, cozy, and inviting.  Everything that Christ’s birth and infancy was not.Mary’s out-of-wedlock pregnancy could not but shame the family in the community.  Her story of the angel’s visit didn’t make the situation better.  She was probably sent away to Zacharias and Elizabeth to hide the shame.Joseph, whom Mary was to marry, was also shamed by Mary’s swe...  Read More

I vaguely remember telling a strict legalistic Christian that when Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, we have our church service on Christmas Eve and cancel the Sunday service.  He said, “Pagan!”Uncertain if he was serious or kidding, I replied: “You always told me how pagan the modern Christmas celebration is, with most traditions, including the date itself, stemming from Roman or Celtic paganism. ...  Read More

We are made of dust, connected to this earth – like all the other creatures.Yet we have sensed that we are somehow higher, greater, more accomplished than all the other creatures.We think more efficiently, more creatively than any of them.We have no claws, but we can mine water and minerals from the depths.We have neither fins nor gills, but we navigate atop and beneath the waves.We have no wings,...  Read More

The mission of the Christian church is based on the two greatest commandments:  love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself.As you love yourself.  Love of self is not commanded but assumed.  It is where we start, but it had better not be where we end.The call of the gospel is to love the One beyond ourselves Who is worthy of our love and adoration:  the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Ch...  Read More

Throughout the scourge of the pandemic God has continued to bless our church with growth.  Growth must be handled, so let me update you on some of the things that we’re working on.For starters, let’s talk about the Neighborhood Plan.  Some of you might wonder what’s going on with that.  The Neighborhood Plan was merely a concept in my head; we put it out there to BEGIN getting you all acquainted w...  Read More

Recently a second grader in a nearby school threw a tantrum in class, tossing furniture and books.  He punched the teacher then locked her in the classroom as he escaped into the hall, screaming and tearing things off the walls as he went.  Teachers eventually surrounded the boy to limit his rampage but were not permitted to touch him.  His tantrum lasted for over an hour.I see all the heads of my...  Read More

The average tourist is experiencing an artificial and perhaps superficial presentation designed to please him.  Travel allows us to avoid the exacting nature of real life:  loving our next-door neighbor.How many of today’s acceptable practices will be considered immoral, abusive, or even criminal by future generations because of cultural and technological changes?  Our descendants will ask “How co...  Read More