A Light in the Corner

Living in HD

2010-08-12T18:48:00.001-04:00

I still remember the first time I saw an HDTV. I was walking through a department store when I was completely overwhelmed by the row of Plasma TVs peering out from their shelf in the electronics section. The picture was so bright, so sharp, so detailed, that it put the rest of the TVs in the room to shame. I've had an HDTV in my house for a while now. I've gotten used to the exceptional detail

While I'm Waiting

2010-05-12T21:22:00.002-04:00

I was in the Department of Licensing office the other day because I needed new license plates for my truck. I don’t think you can go into a DoL or DMV or any other government office without having to pull up a seat and wait a while. While I was dutifully waiting my turn, I began looking around the room at about forty others who were also waiting. One lady was sitting sort of by herself,

Profile of a Dying Church

2010-04-29T13:58:00.002-04:00

Not long ago, I was on a weekend trip with my family and we decided to attend church on Sabbath morning in the area we were visiting. We were in a small community so I expected that the church would be quite small also. That was confirmed when I went to Adventistdirectory.org to find the address for the church. It said that the church had 19 members, and was part of a four-church district.

All In

2010-04-15T14:50:00.000-04:00

I’m not a poker player. I don’t think I’ve even played a single hand in my life. But there has been a time or two when I’ve seen the World Series of Poker on ESPN. I’m intrigued by that moment in any poker showdown when a player sizes up his cards, takes a deep breath, and with both hands slowly shoves the whole pile of chips to the center of the table. It’s a calculated choice. It’s a

What if the Church Marketed like Starbucks? (or Starbucks marketed like the church?)

2010-02-05T15:56:00.001-05:00

You know, sometimes a church does whatever it can to make a new person feel out of place. I know (at least I think) this isn't the case, but it's almost as if we don't want new people to come in the front door for fear of them upsetting the balance of what we do. This video is a favorite of mine, bringing attention to some things we do in church without even thinking. What do you think? Is

Celebrations

2009-06-14T22:47:00.002-04:00

So I'm not really a Lakers fan. But watching them win tonight got me thinking....wouldn't it be great if we would celebrate every baptism with the same exuberance with which the Lakers celebrated their NBA title? I mean, without the wierd group hug/bunny hop thing. But if they can muster that much excitement for a trophy, why can't we be that passionate about people who make decisions that

Revisiting Daniel 7

2009-03-29T01:26:00.001-04:00

So I've been working on a sermon for one of my preaching classes. Daniel 7 was my assigned preaching passage. This passage has been preached so many times by Adventists that I was not sure how to preach a sermon that hasn't already been preached by someone. As I was studying, I got stuck on verses 15-18. Daniel tells about this vision then shares that he is completely terrified. Then he goes

Waiting

2009-02-22T00:13:00.002-05:00

Isaiah 40:31 31 Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. Ever since I can remember, this has been one of my favorite verses of Scripture. If I wait on the Lord, He will provide. It's an amazing message…that has really got messed up in my head. This is the verse

Adventist Evangelism

2009-02-17T00:28:00.001-05:00

You know, we really need to re-think how we go about our evangelism. I've been in the Adventist church for my whole life now, and I can identify three types of evangelism that we generally try. 1. We do door-to-door evangelism, selling our books to unsuspecting vict-, I mean, people. 2. We hold public evangelism campaigns, inviting in for a four (or five) (or six) week series in which we

Good News

2009-01-12T23:26:00.001-05:00

As the minutes dragged on into hours, we became increasingly more tired. First our flight was delayed by 20 minutes, then an hour, then two. Finally, the bright red CANCELLED flashed on the board next to flight 603. And with that we were stuck in Las Vegas. Yet this was just the latest twist in the adventure of trying to get home for Christmas. Icy roads. Delayed flights. Missed

Thoughts on the "Civil War"

2008-11-30T23:34:00.003-05:00

So last night I was sitting and watching the "Civil War," the annual football game between the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers. As it became clear that the Ducks were going to finish off a thorough destruction of the Beavers, the cameras began panning through the crowd. There they were, nearly 40,000 crushed Beaver fans. Grown men openly crying over the football game. "That's pretty sad

Created in God’s Image?

2008-09-20T14:08:00.001-04:00

So I was reading the latest Newsweek magazine (Sept 22, 2008) the other day and ran across an article called, "Is Morality Natural?" The article suggests that all people, regardless of ethnicity, culture, gender or any other factor, have a similar view of basic ethics and morality. The bottom line, in the author's estimation, is that, "nature handed us a moral grammar that fuels our intuitive

Everyday Miracles

2008-08-21T20:45:00.001-04:00

No matter how often it happens, it's seems like it's always just as exciting. You know, those situations where your back is against the wall, you've run out of options, and then something happens that you just can't explain. I had one of those experiences today. This morning, I had to take a Hebrew qualifying exam that would place me in appropriate Hebrew class here at the seminary.

Olympic Gold and the Meaning of Life

2008-08-20T19:13:00.001-04:00

So, I've been watching the Olympics a lot in the last couple of weeks. Watching all of the athletes that devote themselves to their sports fills me with mixed emotions. I admire them for their singular devotion to their dreams and goals. The effort that it takes to become the best in the world at something is laudable. Yet at the same time, I feel profound sadness. I wonder what happens when

So, what's a guy supposed to do with a new blog?

2008-08-18T16:46:00.003-04:00

So, I was sitting at my computer this morning and realized that it was time for me to enter the blogging universe. I can't say I know what inspired me, and I certainly don't know what this space will become, but I'm looking forward to finding out. For the moment, a little about me. For the past year, I've been studying at Andrews University in Michigan, working on my MDiv degree. A year from