Every miracle of Jesus had a spiritual, emotional, and physical effect. In some cases, people came to the Lord for healing from diseases, and He proclaimed salvation upon them. In other cases, people came with spiritual needs, and He restored them spiritually, emotionally, and physically. In all cases, Jesus restored the person completely after their encounter with Him. In Christ, all things are made new—always!
One of the most striking aspects of the creation narrative is the concept of tobh or tov, God’s proclamation that His creation is defined by His inherent goodness. It is an expression of congruence between the Maker and that which He has made, the resonance of love between a Father and that which has been birthed into existence. Inherent in this goodness, we see connectedness and relationality as defining features of the created world, epitomized by the first man’s awakening attunement to God, to creation, and ultimately, to another—woman.
HT: The Nazarene Manual speaks out against sexual violence in many forms (including rape, sexual assault, sexual bullying, hateful speech, marital abuse, incest, sex trafficking, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, bestiality, sexual harassment, and the abuse of minors and other vulnerable populations). How has your work encountered these sad realities in our world?
“It’s not a big deal.” My neighbor spoke those words with conviction as we chatted over the fence, and then she walked back to her house. Her relationship with her live-in boyfriend was over. They were splitting and going their separate ways, and her words implied that none of it mattered. Yet somehow, I was not convinced. Apparently, the upcoming separation was the result of a new job opportunity for her. She wanted me to believe that forfeiting her relationship was little more than a minor inconvenience, the unavoidable price of chasing a career dream.
I am tempted by same-sex attractions.
I have been for years, yet I have never been able to adopt the term “gay Christian” for myself. Understanding the reason for this predicament has taken some time. I have often considered doing so, questioning whether my rejection of the identity was simply me being too pedantic, too restrictive, or too prescriptive.
Our worship of Christ is essential in the ordering of life. Putting God first in all aspects and responding to His call must be the central focus of each Christian. When God is not glorified, a disordering occurs for the individual that ripples into society. In this chaotic and fallen state, creation worships itself or a distorted view of the Creator—the truth about God is traded for a lie. Thus, human desire gets fractured, “resulting in behaviors that elevate self-sovereignty, damage and objectify the other, and darken the path of human desire.”
One of the most striking aspects of the creation narrative is the concept of tobh or tov, God’s proclamation that His creation is defined by His inherent goodness. It is an expression of congruence between the Maker and that which He has made, the resonance of love between a Father and that which has been birthed into existence. Inherent in this goodness, we see connectedness and relationality as defining features of the created world, epitomized by the first man’s awakening attunement to God, to creation, and ultimately, to another—woman.
Recently, representatives of various Nazarene constituencies joined their global leaders in a move to reframe the language of Nazarene Missions. By verifying what is and what is not changing in our global missionary enterprise, the outcome affirms the resilient nature of the movement.
I ate at Denny’s recently. That might not seem like a big deal, particularly in light of how many such establishments exist (approximately 1,600 worldwide). However, that particular Denny’s on that particular day became the setting of a wonderful time of reflection and thanksgiving. It was lunchtime during the first day of our recent denominational conference, M19, in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. I walked through three blocks of busy traffic to that out of the way Denny’s on Broadway Boulevard—a restaurant I had been to many times before—and found it nearly empty.
Nazarene institutions of higher education conferred the largest number of degrees in the history of the denomination in 2018. Our 51 Nazarene schools reported an enrollment of 51,839 students and presented a total of 11,740 degrees in 2018. When accounting for the extension efforts of these 51 schools, the Church of the Nazarene operates higher education locations in over 120 world areas.
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