April 2016

Inerrancy: Not Our Debate

Don’t you hate it when someone who knows little about a sport tries to engage in conversation about it and then uses terms from another sport? Like this: “The football game is in the third inning.” Of course, baseball uses innings, not football.

Can God Really Redeem This Picture?

The journey of faith reminds me of an old radio. There are periods of quiet stillness. Sometimes there is a deafening lack of noise. And then there is the static. Turn the knob, wrong station, white noise, static: Are you there, God? Can you hear me?

Then, just like the frequency that finally clicks into place, there is the music. Soothing, calm, clear. Perfect harmony. Perfect faith. The mountaintops of our Christian walks and the melodies we try to remember when all we hear is static. This is beautiful, God. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief.

Empowering Fellow Women Leaders

When Samantha Chambo and Annemarie Snijders sat down with Holiness Today, they discovered they shared more than Christ in common.

These two accomplished clergywomen from contrasting cultures—Chambo from South Africa and Snijders from the Netherlands—both have a passion to empower women to step up to leadership in the church.

Chambo was born and raised in South Africa before marrying a Mozambican, Africa Regional Director Filimao Chambo. They have two children, Tsakani and Emanual.

Communal Worship that Is Christian

In one setting, the sun towered above, beating down upon us with an intensity impossible to ignore. We found our way to a piece of ground high upon a hill where a 20- x 30-foot tattered tarp provided shelter from the oppressive sun. Of course, it could do nothing to block out the thick humidity that wrapped around us like a suffocating blanket.

My Call to Try

Today I remembered my call. I had not really forgotten it. Yet ministry is so busy and “productive” that sometimes frustrations push out a little bit of the drive. We are left with only leftovers to give.

My memory came back to me tonight at one of our Child Development Centers (CDC) located on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. We are currently undertaking an educational project there using small garden structures.

Heaven on Earth

Chemistry was one of my favorite subjects in high school. As a curious teenager, the idea of combining different substances without quite knowing how they would interact was both mysterious and exciting. What happens when you burn magnesium in dry ice? Or mix 1,500 ping pong balls with liquid nitrogen? Or combine hydrogen peroxide with potassium iodide? Cool stuff, that’s what! (Go ahead, look it up on Google. You know you want to.)

Upward, Inward, and Outward

What does it mean to be one who affirms and embodies God’s work of sanctification? God’s holy people, made holy by God’s Holy Spirit, resembling nothing more than God’s holy One? Why does this matter for our everyday lives?

Whenever I find myself considering what it means to be wholly holy (forgive the pun) or fully God’s child, I am drawn to three different, complex, and interwoven realities.

1. Upward

Tell Them You See the Cost

Frequently I read articles that speak of the heavy responsibilities pastors carry, and point to related depression, moral failure rates, and burnout among church leaders. The discussion usually involves how congregations should treat (or not treat) them as to prevent such fallout.

As a pastor I’ve experienced the struggle with depression. I desperately need the grace of God. And I’ve felt so overextended I wanted to quit (and have friends who have). Being appreciated, supported, and prayed for by my church’s members often has made all the difference.

Q&A: Translating Nazarene Literature

HT: What is the most translated piece of Nazarene literature?

Scott: Several years ago, the Board of General Superintendents released a small booklet called Core Values: Christian, Holiness, Missional. By 2007, it was available in 24 languages, passing Chic Shaver’s Basic Bible Studies for New and Growing Christians, which had been translated into 19 other languages.

Q&A: What do you do if there is dissatisfaction with a pastor?

Question: Our pastor does not seem to be connecting with the families in our church. A few people have even expressed concerns to me regarding the pastor’s leadership and preaching. What should I do?

Eddie: Pastor-parish relations in general, and unresolved conflict between church members and pastoral leadership specifically, can be one of the most challenging aspects of church life. Your question leads me to believe your motive is noble and that you want to help in some way.